OOTFALLS 


.  WE 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


FOOTFALLS 


OF 


LOYALTY. 


BY 

MRS.  MARY  W.  WESTCOTT, 

SWANTON,  NEB. 


"  He  turned  and  left  the  spot, 

Oh.  do  not  deem  him  weak, 
For  dauntless  was  the  soldier's  heart, 

Though  tears  were  on  his  cheek. 
Go  to  the  foremost  rank 

In  danger's  dark  career, 
Be  sure  the  hand  most  daring  there 

Has  wiped  away  a  tear." 


LINCOLN 

JOURNAL  COMPANY,  "TAT*  PBIKTSB9. 
1888. 


PREFACE. 


This  work  has  been  compiled  to  save  to  history  the 
purest  sentiments  of  loyalty  ever  uttered  and  to  raise 
something  for  the  relief  funds  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  a  large 
share  of  the  sale  being  devoted  to  such  use.  If  our  pur- 
pose meets  with  approval  we  shall  continue  to  collect  war 
letters  and  diaries  with  this  end  in  view. 

These  letters  came  from  the  heart  and  must  go  to  the 
heart  of  him  who  fought  on  the  same  ground  in  the  same 
way,  inspired  by  the  same  love  for  home  and  country,  as 
well  as  to  those  who  hold  them  in  patriotic  reverence. 
Libby's  Bright  Side  shows  what  brave  men  did  to  forget 
the  misery  that  surrounded  and  crushed  them,  when  to 
have  foresworn  their  defense  of  the  old  flag  would  have 
given  them  the  best  that  rebeldom  afforded.  And  now 
when  the  limbs  crippled  by  prison  gangrene  or  the  more 
merciful  shell  are  ordered  to  "  leave"  to  give  place  to  the 
old  prison  guard  and  flag  traducer,  and  when  the  stars 
and  bars  are  waved  over  the  ground  once  covered  by  the 
"  march  to  the  sea,"  seems  a  most  fitting  time  to  bring 
these  loyal  mementoes  to  the  light. 

MKS.  MARY  W.  WESTCOTT. 

Swanton,  Nebraska. 

587206 


LETTERS  OF  GOLD. 


BY  HAKEY  BUENS,  CO.  H,  4TH  PA.  CAVALRY. 
(Written  especially  for  this  work.) 

A  bundle  of  letters  tied  'round  with  a  string, 
Some  sad  and  some  joyous — what  mem'ries  they  bring ! 
Some  well-worn  with  reading — my  eyes  fill  with  tears 
At  words  that  to  others  so  foolish  appears. 

Worn  letters,  old  letters,  sweet  words  of  the  past, 
When  our  nation  lay  clouded,  with  hopes  overcast; 
Mid  thunders  of  war,  with  its  turmoil  and  pain, 
Bringing  answers  and  sweet  loving  words  back  again. 

Only  letters,  old  letters — ah,  me,  how  I  sigh  ! 

As  I  read  them  they  bring  back  the  old  days  so  nigh, 

When  we  climbed  o'er  the  mountain  and  swam  through  the  flood, 

And  lived  four  long  years  in  a  lava  of  blood. 

Yes,  letters,  old  letters,  we  love  them  now  well 
For  the  mem'ries  they  bring  and  the  stories  they  tell; 
Home  twenty  years  after  what  pleasure  they  yield, 
For  they  tell  of  our  marches,  the  camp,  and  the  field. 

Old  letters,  fond  letters,  bedewed  once  with  tears, 
The  older  they  grow  the  more  precious  appears; 
For  they  came  from  the  field  and  the  foul  prison  den, 
And  the  loved  homes  of  true  and  courageous  men. 

From  the  daughters  and  sons,  from  the  mothers  and  sires, 
Whose  words  built  and  lighted  up  liberty's  fires; 
What  hopes  were  awaked  by  those  grand  words  of  cheer 
To  the  loved  ones  at  home  and  the  brave  vol  unteer. 


VL 

letters  written  by  men  in  the  vigor  of  life, 
Written  by  sister,  son,  father,  and  wife, 
Written  by  patriots  loyal  and  free, 
Who  stood  by  the  Union  and  loved  liberty. 

Last  words  of  those  heroes  who  never  returned, 
Those  sacrificed  lives  whom  the  nation  has  mourned, 
Whose  bones  were  left  whitened  on  fair  freedom's  shore, 
Their  letters  we'll  treasure  and  prize  evermore. 

Old  letters,  fond  letters,  tho'  ages  march  on, 

Tell  their  story  of  trials  and  victories  won, 

Tho'  the  hearts  of  the  writers  lie  listless  in  death, 

To  a  pulsating  world  they  are  freedom's  fond  breath. 

Old  letters,  old  letters,  bright  garlands  of  gloom, 
Full  of  hope,  full  of  peace,  tho'  they  speak  from  the  tomb, 
Storied  words  that  will  live  to  be  told  and  retold, 
Our  footfalls  of  loyalty— Letters  of  Gold ! 
Pittsburg,  July  1886. 


FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY. 


AUSTIN  J.  LAKIN, 

7xH  ILL.  INFT.  AND  Co.  B.,  2o  ILL.  CAV. 

TO  HIS  FRIENDS. 

CAMP  DEFIANCE,  \ 

CAIRO,  ILL.,  June  14,  1861.  j 

DEAR  BROTHER  AND  SISTER — This  beautiful  day  finds 
me  seated  in  ray  little  tent  to  write  you  a  letter,  and  I  will 
try  to  give  you  an  idea  of  ray  situation  at  present.  I  en- 
listed in  the  service  of  the  Union  army  the  22d  of  April, 
and  started  the  same  evening  for  Springfield,  stopped  in 
Camp  Yates  about  a  week,  then  took  the  train  for  Alton, 
stopped  there  a  month,  and  took  passage  on  steamboat  for 
Cairo,  and  this  day  finds  me  one  among  8,000  brave  men. 
It  is  a  fine  sight  to  see  seven  or  eight  thousand  soldiers 
on  the  field  mustering.  There  are  more  than  one  hun- 
dred men  at  work  here  building  batteries.  There  are  six 
cannon  planted  here  that  throw  36  pound  balls,  and  lots  of 
smaller  ones  throwing  from  6  to  24  pound  balls. 

The  talk  is  that  we  will  start  for  Memphis,  Tenn.,  soon; 
vessels  are  standing  ready  to  start  at  any  hour,  five  or  six 
of  the  best  boats  that  run  on  the  river.  They  belong  to 
2 


2  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

the  government.  The  "City  of  Alton"  started  out  yester- 
day, came  back  iii  the  evening  with  a  secession  flag.  The 
boys  saw  it  in  Columbus,  Ky.,  as  they  were  going  up  the 
river;  they  landed,  went  over  and  cut  the  flag  down  and 
brought  it  home  with  them ;  not  a  man  raised  a  hand  to 
gave  the  banner  of  rebeldom. 

We  sleep  in  our  tents  on  a  little  hay,  a  blanket  and  oil 
cloth  cloak  to  every  man. 

I  hope  I  will  be  the  lucky  boy  to  get  back  home  to  see 
my  relatives  and  little  wife — she  is  the  flower  of  the  West. 


PITTSBURG  LANDING,  TENN., 
April  28,  1862. 

I  yet  have  a  place  among  the  living.  While  others  around 
me  fall  I  am  spared.  Since  I  last  saw  you  I  have  wit- 
nessed the  battle-field  at  Fort  Donaldson  and  the  battle  at 
this  place,  where  many  of  my  acquaintances  fell;  some  of 
them  that  were  with  me  in  the  three  months  service.  Many 
a  brave  man  fell  here,  leaving  wife  and  children  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  husband  and  father.  Thousands  of  promising 
young  men  went  down  pierced  to  the  heart  with  the  rude 
rifle  ball,  others  with  their  heads  shot  off  by  the  cannon, 
some  literally  torn  to  pieces  with  cannon  ball  and  shell. 
There  are  different  reports  of  the  killed  and  wounded,  but 
from  what  I  have  seen  and  heard,  our  loss  is  from  10,000 
to  12,000  killed  and  wounded,  and  3,000  or  4,000  taken 
prisoners.  The  Secesh  lost  more  than  we  did,  at  least 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  3 

there  were  more  of  their  dead  left  on  the  field.  We  did 
not  get  as  many  prisoners  as  they  did.  Some  say  they  lost 
20,000.  I  am  satisfied  they  got  the  worst  of  it,  if  they  did 
make  the  attack. 

A  great  many  of  our  boys  are  sick.  The  small  pox 
has  broken  out  in  our  camp;  one  of  the  boys  in  our  com- 
pany has  it. 

Martha,  I  never  regretted  that  I  enlisted  in  the  war. 
I  am  happy  to  think  I  am  able  to  take  part  in  so  glorious 
a  work,  to  risk  my  life  under  the  same  beautiful  stars  and 
stripes  that  our  fathers  bled  under  in  the  great  revolution. 
I  love  people  who  love  our  government  and  our  beautiful 
flag.  We  expect  to  move  soon  to  Savannah  and  storm 
the  enemy's  works  there.  We  hear  to-day  that  our  troops 
are  in  possession  of  New  Orleans;  hardly  believe  it,  but 
hope  it  is  so. 


May  17,  1862. 

We  are  in  camp  three  miles  from  the  strong  rebel  force 
at  Corinth,  Miss.  It  is  supposed  that  there  never  has 
been  so  strong  a  force  gathered  together  as  there  is  at 
Corinth.  We  started  on  this  trip  the  2d  of  this  month 
from  Pittsburg  Landing  (Shiloh).  We  can  hear  the  rebel 
drums.  Our  pickets  are  skirmishing  every  day.  A  small 
stream  runs  near  our  picket  line,  and  the  rebels  thought  we 
were  using  too  much  liberty  coming  there  to  water.  We 
got  up  a  little  fight  over  it,  and  it  was  not  long  before  the 


4  FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY. 

artillery  came  to  our  aid,  and  when  she  belched  forth  hir 
shell  and  shot  they  left  the  stream.  We  took  forty-nine 
prisoners.  They  are  fighting  now  on  our  right.  I  can 
hear  the  cannon  conversing.  I  am  looking  every  moment 
to  be  called  out  in  line.  You  have  probably  heard  the 
particulars  of  the  Pittsburg  Landing  fight;  that  was  an 
awful  battle,  but  this  may  be  worse.  There  is  hardly 
a  day  but  we  take  some  prisoners.  They  say  the  troops 
at  Corinth  have  to  live  on  half  rations,  as  our  army  has 
cut  off  all  their  means  of  transportation  excepting  the 
railroad  to  Memphis  and  New  Orleans.  Our  boys  are  in 
good  spirits,  our  work  moves  slowly  on,  but  victory  seems 
to  crown  our  labors. 


MEMPHIS,  TENN.,      \ 
Sunday,  June  28,  1863.  / 

We  received  orders  the  morning  of  the  18th  to  prepare 
for  a  three  days'  scout.  We  started  before  daylight.  Our 
party  consisted  of  a  detail  from  the  5th  Ohio,  1st  Mo., 
and  2d  111.  Cavalry,  numbering  in  all  310  men.  We 
struck  Coldwater  on  the  evening  of  the  18th,  thirty  miles 
from  Memphis,  went  down  it  three  miles  and  camped  for 
the  night.  About  midnight  the  rebels  fired  on  our  picket 
line,  and  they  skirmished  till  midnight.  We  had  scarcely 
started  in  the  morning  when  the  rebels  opened  fire  on 
us  at  the  upper  end  of  the  long  lane.  Grape  and  canister 
showered  into  our  ranks,  but  did  no  harm.  We  dis- 


FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY.  5 

mounted,  opened  the  large  meadow  fence  and  formed  in 
line  of  battle.  The  rebs  poured  their  lead  into  our  ranks, 
killing  and  wounding  three  of  our  boys  before  we  had 
fired  a  gun.  A  general  engagement  took  place,  lasting 
an  hour,  lead  coming  from  every  direction.  We  were 
surrounded  by  a  large  force,  and  were  liable  to  fall  into 
their  hands  prisoners,  the  thought  of  which  we  could  not 
bear.  Our  officers  ordered  us  to  retreat.  We  put  spurs 
to  our  horses,  aiming  to  make  our  escape  by  way  of  the 
road,  but  found  it  well  guarded.  We  gave  them  a  few 
volleys  from  our  carbines,  turned  our  horses  in  a  southern 
direction,  put  spurs  to  them  again  and  retreated  into  the 
woods.  Here  also  were  rebels;  charging  into  them,  on 
we  went,  they  following  for  about  eight  miles;  reached 
camp  late  the  same  evening;  nearly  one-third  of  our  party 
was  missing,  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners.  Major  Henry, 
of  the  5th  Ohio,  who  commanded  us,  was  taken  by  the 
rebels;  this  was  not  a  very  profitable  scout  for  us.  Four 
of  our  badly  wounded  men  were  paroled  and  sent  to  camp. 
We  sent  back  a  flag  of  truce  asking  permission  to  bury 
our  dead,  and  received  answer  that  they  were  buried. 


MEMPHIS,  TENN.,  1 
July  .27,  1863.    / 

A.  never  writes  to  me  any  more.  He  got  mad  because 
I  told  him  that  men  who  sympathized  with  rebels  were 
no  better  than  rebels,  and  rather  accused  him  of  being  of 


6  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

that  stripe.  I  am  sorry  to  say  such  of  a  relative,  but  he 
wrote  me  a  long  letter  about  negro  equality,  intimating 
that  I  was  fighting  for  negro  freedom,  and  negro  equality, 
and  said  that  he  would  as  soon  agree  to  the  laws  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy  as  to  the  laws  of  abolition  govern- 
ment. He  appears  to  be  very  fearful  of  the  negroes.  We 
fought  the  rebels,  guarded  their  property,  allowed  the  black 
man  to  build  breastworks  for  us  to  climb,  allowed  them 
to  support  the  rebel  army  by  raising  grain  for  its  sub- 
sistence. We  fought  them  two  years  at  this  rate,  giving 
them  ample  time  to  consider.  We  promised  to  forget  and 
forgive  all  insults  to  our  flag  if  they  would  only  return 
to  the  old  constitution,  but  what  did  they  say?  "We  will 
rule  or  we  will  ruin."  Our  congress  has  seen  fit  to  pass 
the  conscription  act  and  the  emancipation  act.  Now  the 
accursed  institutions  of  slavery  are  crumbling,  and  are 
bound  to  fall. 

"  Conquer  we  must,  for  our  cause  it  is  just, 
Let  this  be  our  motto,  in  God  be  our  trust," 

and  the  true  American  flag  shall  wave  over  every  city, 
North  and  South. 


HEAD-QUARTERS  Co.  B,  2o.  ILL.  CAV.  ^ 
IN  CAMP  NEAR  MEMPHIS,  TENN.,      V 

July  12,  1863.  ) 
Mrs.  Martha  Chamberlain: 

MY  DEAR  SISTER — On  the  evening  of  July  6  we  re- 
ceived the   news   confirming  the  capture  of  Vicksburg. 


FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY.  7 

This  glorious  report  caused  some  excitement  among  our 
boys.  We  illuminated  our  camp  with  lights,  built  bon- 
fires, shot  squibs,  etc.  A  lot  of  us  were  busy  preparing 
squibs,  when  our  little  stock  of  powder  took  fire  and  scat- 
tered us.  Some  three  or  four  of  us  were  badly  burnt. 
The  flash  threw  the  blaze  into  my  face,  which  made  it 
one  solid  blister,  but  is  about  well  now.  The  other  boys 
that  were  burnt  went  to  the  hospital,  but  I  thought  myself 
just  as  well  off  in  camp.  We  have  black  cooks  now.  Tommy 
is  our  faithful,  good-hearted  cook.  He  has  been  with 
us  six  months  and  we  expect  to  keep  him  till  the  war 
ends.  You  may  think  the  war  about  over,  but  I 
think  it  will  last  one  year  yet.  People  who  never 
served  in  the  army  are  too  apt  to  think  that  the  downfall  of 
a  city  or  the  capture  of  a  few  thousand  prisoners  will  crush 
the  rebellion.  It  is  badly  crippled;  the  Mississippi  will 
soon  be  open  to  the  Gulf,  then  our  beautiful  flag  will 
sweep  down  the  length  of  the  mighty  stream  unharmed. 
The  rebels  may  tear  up  our  railroads  and  interfere  with 
our  communication  by  land,  but  we  can  hold  the  river  in 
spite  of  all  they  can  do.  I  think  we  could  not  ask  for 
finer  prospects  of  putting  down  the  rebellion  than  we  have 
at  present,  but  it  will  take  time  to  accomplish  the  work. 

I  understand  that  our  army  took  32,000  men  at  Vicks- 
burg,  many  horses,  and  over  300  cannon  and  more  than 
100,000  stands  of  small  arms.  What  a  victory  this  was ! 


8  FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY. 


FORT  PILLOW,  TEXN.,         \ 

M 


Aug.  8,  1863. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER  MARTHA — While  reading  your  noble 
letter  1  could  not  refrain  from  shedding  tears.  I  pity 
you  and  your  little  children.  We  should  not  mourn  nor 
lament  for  those  who  have  passed  through  the  shadow  of 
death,  but  our  hearts  should  say,  "  The  Lord  giveth,  and 
the  Lord  taketh  away."  Oh,  sister,  would  to  God  this 
war  might  cease,  so  the  daily  increasing  list  of  widows 
might  cease  with  it. 


TO  THE  SAME. 

FORT  PILLOW,         1 
Nov.  26,  1863.  / 

We  started  out  on  a  scout  Tuesday  evening,  and  have 
just  returned,  rode  day  and  night.  Our  scout  of  last  Sat- 
urday and  Sunday  proved  a  profitable  one.  Our  attack 
on  the  rebels  Sunday  morning  caused  a  general  stampede 
among  them.  They  lost  over  50  conscripts,  and  now  re- 
port us  to  have  attacked  them  with  1,400  men.  Our  party 
only  numbered  84;  officers  and  men  of  our  Co.,  44,  and 
mounted  infantry,  40.  It  would  be  useless  for  me  to  un- 
dertake to  give  you  a  sketch  of  all  I  saw  on  that  trip, 
though  I  might  tell  you  of  the  handsome  Union  lady,  or 
of  the  abuse  of  the  pretty  little  rebel.  As  we  pass  along 
the  roads  we  can  see  people  of  different  opinions.  One 
as  pretty  as  I  ever  saw  came  to  the  door  of  a  handsome 


FOOTFALLS    OF    LOYALTY.  9 

dwelling  yesterday,  and  shouted  "God  bless  the  Yankee 
soldier.  Oh,  if  you  had  only  been  here  last  night, 
father  would  not  have  been  abused  so,  just  because  he  is  a 
Union  man.  I  told  them  the  Union  soldiers  would  run 
them  out  of  the  country  in  less  than  three  days,  and  that 
they  were  cowards,  and  only  pitched  their  spite  at  unarmed 
men." 

You  always  give  me  very  good  advice,  sister,  and  appear 
to  be  somewhat  interested  in  my  present  and  future  wel- 
fare. I  am  as  little  concerned  about  death  as  I  ever  was. 
I  do  not  fear  the  rebel  lead,  miserable  would  I  be  if  I  did. 
A  coward  must  be  a  very  uncomfortable  person.  I  would 
rather  die  a  brave  man  than  to  live  a  life  debased  by  cow- 
ardice. 


FORT  PILLOW,         1 
Dec.  20,  1863.  f 

As  I  have  nothing  of  interest  to  write  I  will  have  to  give 
you  another  sketch  of  a  scout  we  made  a  few  days  ago.  It 
had  been  raining  for  seven  or  eight  days  in  succession,  and 
as  we  never  have  better  luck  than  in  the  rain  or  at  night, 
we  concluded  to  try  the  depth  of  the  mud,  and  the  moisture 
of  the  falling  rain  for  50  or  60  miles  from  camp.  We 
started  early  in  the  morning,  and  riding  at  a  good  gait 
noon  found  us  twenty-eight  miles  from  the  Fort.  Entering 
the  little  city  of  Ripley,  eight  of  us  being  thrown  out  as 
advance  guard  nearly  one  mile  ahead  of  the  company,  we 


10  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

spied  the  rebel  picket  in  the  suburbs  of  the  town.  They 
permitted  us  to  advance  within  one  hundred  yards  of 
them  before  they  gave  the  alarm.  They  leveled  their  guns 
and  snapped  them,  but  not  a  gun  fired.  They  wheeled 
their  horses  and  used  their  spurs.  Six  of  us  charged  after 
them  into  the  city.  The  whole  town  was  at  dinner.  They 
had  a  few  conscripts  in  the  court-house  under  guard. 
They  (the  guards)  snapped  their  old  muskets  at  us.  Our 
carbines  failed  to  fire,  so  we  threw  them  and  drew  our  re- 
volvers, and  gave  the  guards  a  few  whistling  balls  near 
their  heads.  They  threw  up  their  "bread  hooks"  and 
shouted  uWe'uns  surrender  to  you'ns  all."  I  had  just 
passed  the  court-house  when  I  saw  one  of  them  making 
tracks  a  few  rods  distant.  I  halted  him,  but  he  wouldn't 
halt,  I  fired  three  loads  from  my  revolver,  leveled  in  his 
direction.  The  second  one  struck  his  horse  in  the  neck, 
the  third  cut  so  close  to  his  own  pate  that  he  decided  to 
retrace  his  steps  and  surrender.  Six  of  us  routed  160  of 
the  rebels,  capturing  over  twenty  of  them,  as  many  of  them 
left  us  their  horses.  A  few  were  released,  as  they  proved 
to  be  conscripts ;  fourteen  went  north  to  the  military  prison. 
The  rebels  were  flying,  as  our  company  came  in  on  the 
jump.  We  gave  pursuit  but  could  not  overtake  them,  as 
they  had  scattered  through  the  woods  in  all  directions, 
and  I  doubt  if  they  have  got  together  yet.  There  was 
a  major  among  them  ;  we  captured  all  of  his  papers  and 
pay-rolls.  I  have  seen  a  great  deal  of  fighting  in  battle 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  II 

and  skirmishing,  but  this  I  cannot  call  a  fight,  as  they  did 
not  stop  to  look  back  or  offer  the  least  resistance  after 
we  got  them  started.  Conscripts  will  not  fight,  neither 
will  their  officers.  You  may  think  me  boasting  in  saying 
that  Co.  B,  2d  111.  Cav.  can  pick  fifty  men  in  its  ranks 
that  can  whip  400  conscript  rebels  in  a  fair  fight.  They 
fear  the  Kansas  Jayhawkers  and  2d  111.  Cav.  I  am  glad 
that  I  belong  to  this  noble  regiment.  I  do  not  boast  of 
my  own  bravery,  but  of  that  of  my  comrades. 


FORT  PILLOW,          ) 
Jan.  6,  1864.  / 

SISTER  MARTHA — We  are  quite  comfortably  quartered 
here,  and  I  often  sit  with  my  comrades  around  a  camp- 
fire  conversing  of  our  present  comforts  and  past  hard- 
ships. While  we  are  thus  situated  thousands  of  our 
fellow-soldiers  are  suffering.  The  satisfaction  of  a  com- 
fortable home  often  brightens  our  imagination.  Some- 
times I  think  of  settling  down  at  home  again,  other  time& 
I  think  of  nothing  but  roving.  The  beautiful  sceneries 
of  the  western  prairies  and  the  tall  mountains  excite  my 
rambling  spirit.  Your  kind  letter  contained  much  good 
advice.  The  soldier  thinks  but  little  of  death  or  judg- 
ment. His  comrades  may  fall  upon  his  right  and  left,  but 
while  he  stands  under  the  starry  banner  his  only  thought 
is,  "  My  country  calls  me  to  defend  those  beautiful  stars 
and  stripes,  and  proudly  would  I  die  rather  than  disgrace- 


12  FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY. 

fully  forsake  them."  I  have  seen  our  western  heroes  fall, 
and  I  believe  death  was  met  with  a  smile,  they  appeared  to 
give 'life  so  freely.  I  have  often  thought  I  would  as  soon 
fall  on  the  battle-field  as  to  die  a  natural  death.  O,  cruel 
war !  the  thousands  of  brave  men  thou  hast  swept  from 
earth  to  the  silent  grave.  Sleep,  you  brave  men  of  Amer- 
ica, you  have  paid  your  last  debt  to 'your  country's  cause. 
Your  devoted  brother. 


In  the  cemetery  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  nightly  beteared 
with  the  vapors  of  the  darkly-flowing  Mississippi,  he  sleeps 
with  fallen  comrades,  the  last  earthly  sleep  of  a  loyal 
soldier.  Little  need  of  the  guard  on  the  "  Picket  line  of 
eternity  "  asking  as  their  spirits  advance  for  admittance, 
"  What  deed  hast  thou  sent  before  thee?" 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  13 

ROBERT  P.  BLACK, 
Co.  E,  103D  PA.  VOL. 

TO  HIS  PARENTS. 

SUFFOLK,  VA.,  October,  1862. 

Suffolk  is  situated  on  the  south-west  bank  of  the  Eliza- 
beth river.  The  town  is  built  mostly  of  brick,  foundations 
and  chimneys  of  the  same  material.  I  have  seen  no 
stone-work  of  any  kind  about  here.  The  streets  are  rather 
narrow,  crooked,  and  irregular.  The  sidewalks  are  paved 
with  brick,  and  tiling,  and  well  shaded  with  mulberry, 
fig,  and  other  trees.  The  town  is  about  the  size  of  Butler, 
Pa.,  though  not  half  so  neat.  The  country,  as  far  as  I 
have  seen  it,  is  flat  in  some  places,  rolling  in  others,  and 
abounds  in  swamps.  The  soil  is  sandy,  no  rock,  not  even 
in  the  streams.  The  water  flows  sluggish,  blackish  in 
color;  no  clear  streams  to  be  found.  The  tide  water  is  an 
ocean  green,  the  other1  dark. 

The  timber  is  mostly  pine,  some  oak,  and  a  good  many 
persimmon  groves.  There  is  a  tree  called  the  chinkapee 
that  bears  a  nut  resembling  the  chestnut,  only  near  the  size 
of  very  small  hazelnuts. 

The  inhabitants  are  mostly  of  a  class  we  would  call  poor. 
They  generally  have  pretty  good  houses,  though  I  have  seen 
them — I  suppose  the  poorer  classes — in  huts  not  fit  for 


14  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

cow  stables.  The  more  wealthy  live  better,  and  appear 
comfortable,  but  no  barns  are  to  be  seen,  not  even  on  the 
largest  plantations.  I  do  not  think  they  need  barns  much 
for  anything,  unless  it  is  for  corn  fodder,  which  they  pre- 
pare in  a  very  laborious  way.  They  go  through  the  fields 
and  strip  the  blades  off  the  stalk  by  hand,  and  lay  them 
in  bunches  to  cure.  When  cured  they  tie  them  in  bundles 
and  stack  in  some  shed.  Mills  are  very  scarce.  Sweet 
potatoes  are  plenty;  Irish  potatoes  scarce;  very  little 
wheat;  no  rye,  barley,  or  buckwheat;  poor  horses  and 
cows,  few  or  no  sheep,  some  hogs.  Chickens,  geese,  and 
turkeys  were  pretty  plenty  when  we  came ;  are  scarce 
now,  though.  Farming  utensils  are  of  a  very  poor,  in- 
ferior kind.  The  old  plow  with  the  shallow  share  and 
cutter  is  about  the  only  kind  in  use.  There  are  some 
very  good  cultivators,  all  stamped  New  York,  Philadel- 
phia, or  some  other  northern  manufactory.  The  hoes 
are  six  and  eight  inches  square,  varying  from  one-fourth 
to  one-half  inch  in  thickness ;  the  blades  will  weigh  from 
three  to  seven  and  eight  pounds.  Very  few  scythes,  no 
grain  cradles,  but  sickles  are  plenty.  The  only  apparent 
land  transportation  is  carts  and  a  kind  of  a  rickety  light 
wagon  drawn  by  a  poor  horse,  mule,  or  oftener,  a  steer  or 
cow.  I  have  seen  more  drawn  by  little  cows  than  by 
either  horses  or  mules.  The  farmers  are  dressed  in  white 
linsey,  almost  from  head  to  foot.  Think  I  have  given 
you  a  pretty  good  description  of  this  place. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  15 

NEWBOURN,  N.  C.,  Jan.  4,  1863. 

I  had  my  hand  lanced  twice;  am  thankful  it  was  no 
worse,  for  I  might  have  lost  my  hand  or  arm  had  it  not 
been  well  tended.  I  had  a  nurse  that  took  as  good  care 
of  me  as  though  I  might  have  been  her  own  son.  She 
is  a  Sister  of  Mercy,  or  in  other  words,  a  Catholic  nun. 
She  came  over  from  England  to  take  care  of  the  wounded 
Union  soldiers,  and  a  faithful,  excellent  nurse  she  has 
been  and  still  continues  to  be.  The  boys  in  the  room 
where  I  have  been  are  as  kind  and  attentive  to  me  as  if 
we  had  all  been  brothers.  I  never  heard  a  cross  or  angry 
word  in  their  midst. 

Stanley  Central  Hospital. 


January  14,  1863. 

As  a  young  lady  once  said  to  me,  "  my  chat  stuff,  I  am 
afraid,  will  run  out."  But  speaking  of  the  "softer  sex," 
I  must  not  omit  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  or  Charity,  as  they 
are  sometimes  called.  They  have  an  odd  way  of  dressing. 
They  wear  black  slippers,  black — I  don't  what  to  call  it, 
but  it  is  an  all  wool  dress,  with  great  big  over-sleeves  of 
the  same  material.  I  don't  know  what  their  bonnets  are 
like,  as  I  cannot  and  never  did  see  them.  They  wear 
long  black  veils  that  come  down  almost  to  their  feet,  a 
cape  collar  that  comes  down  to  the  points  of  their  shoulders. 
There  is  a  collar  that  fits  close  around  the  neck ;  then  a 
.strip  up  each  side  of  their  heads,  covering  the  ears  and 


16  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 

temples ;  then  over  the  head,  covering  a  part  of  the  fore- 
head. Their  capes,  collars,  and  other  fixtures  about  the 
head  are  of  fine  white  muslin,  and  starched  as  stiff  as  ever 
I  saw  a  shirt  bosom.  They  wear  a  belt  or  girdle ;  to  this 
is  suspended  a  string  of  beads  from  the  size  of  a  pea 
to  a  robin's  egg  ;  also  have  a  cross  suspended  by  a  black 
chain  set  with  silver,  and  another  suspended  from  their 
neck,  with  an  image  of  the  Savior  on  the  cross,  of  pure  gold. 
Then  they  wear  a  little  silver  medal  about  the  size  of  a 
sijver  dollar.  One  side  of  this  bears  the  image  of  the 
Virgin  Mary  with  the  infant  Jesus  in  her  arms;  below, 
the  initials  B.  V.  On  the  other  side,  the  figure  of  the 
Savior  on  the  cross,  with  the  soldiers  piercing  his  side; 
below,  the  initials  I.  H.  S.,  which  mean,  "  I  have  suf- 
fered." All  this  is  worn  by  them  all  the  time,  even  when 
at  work,  for  they  all  work,  excepting  one  of  them,  at 
cooking,  washing,  and  T.  saw  one  of  them  dressing  wounds 
this  morning,  and  oh,  how  soft  and  tender  she  handled 
them,  talking  all  the  time  to  keep  their  minds  from  their 
real  or  seeming  trouble.  Really,  it  looked  as  though  an 
angel  had  come  down  from  the  realm  of  bliss  to  minister 
to  the  wants  of  the  poor,  suffering  soldier,  and  their  looks 
told,  too,  how  they  appreciated  the  kindness  thus  bestowed 
on  them.  Heaven  bless  the  sisters  in  their  good  work  of 
charity  to  their  suffering  fellow-creatures,  for  if  ever  the 
blessings  of  a  nation  or  a  Christian  community  fell  on  any 
one,  they  should  have  it. 


FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY.  17 

IN  CAMP  AT 
NEWBOURN,  N.  C.,  March  1,  '63. 

Col.  T.  F.  Lehman  is  to  be  promoted  to  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral. He  will  supersede  General  Hunt  of  the  85th  N. 
Y.,  who  was  appointed  and  has  been  acting  since  the  bat- 
tle of  Kingstown.  Some  promotions  of  late  in  Co.  E;  E. 
G.  G retry  to  captain,  Bryson  to  1st  lieutenant,  and  Peter 
Wisenstine  to  2d  lieutenant.  C.  H.  McClung  is  orderly 
sergeant ;  the  corporals  are  all  mad,  and  have  handed  in 
their  resignations ;  do  not  know  how  they  will  fix  it  up. 
S.  B.  McCandless  is  on  picket  to-day  at  the  R.  R.  bridge- 
This  is  the  easiest  guarding  to  be  done  here,  as  there  is 
only  one  beat  to  stand  for  each  sentinel,  and  that  lasts 
four  hours.  On  every  other  kind  of  guard  each  sentinel 
stands  four  beats  of  two  hours  each,  in  all  eight  hours. 
Then  he  must  walk  his  beat  all  the  time  in  daylight,  with  his 
gun  at  a  "support  arms"  or  "right  shoulder  shift,"  and 
bayonet  fixed ;  must  not  let  any  one  go  over  the  prescribed 
limits;  salute  all  officers  according  to  their  rank,  a  "carry 
or  shoulder"  for  line  officers,  and  a  "present"  to  field 
officers  or  the  officers  of  the  day  in  camp.  At  sundown  or 
retreat  the  sentry  gun  is  fired,  all  saluting  ceases,  and  at 
taps  challenging  commences,  and  continues  until  daylight. 
Every  one,  no  matter  who  he  may  be,  is  challenged  by 
the  sentry  and  made  to  come  up  and  give  the  countersign 
over  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  or  the  corporal  of  the  guard 
is  called  and  he  is  taken  to  the  guard-house.  If  he  has  the 
3 


18  FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY. 

countersign  he  is  allowed  to  pass  on.  The  sentinels  have 
the  whole  control  of  everything  and  every  one  after  night; 
can  carry  their  guns  as  they  please,  or,  if  on  a  stationary 
post,  can  stick  the  gun  up  or  lay  it  down,  and  sit  down, 
provided  the  gun  is  within  reach.  Then,  should  anything 
occur,  they  are  ready  immediately  to  defend  their  post  or 
person  and  give  the  alarm.  Camp  guarding  is  the  most 
tiresome  and  monotonous;  picket  the  most  dangerous,  but 
the  pickets  here  are  not  exposed  to  any  danger,  as  there 
are  two  outer  lines,  one  three  miles  and  the  other  twelve 
miles  out.  The  85th  Pa.  Vols.  is  doing  outpost  duty  ;  the 
45th  Mass,  central-post  duty.  .  The  44th  Mass,  is  en- 
camped by  us.  They  are  a  well-drilled,  cleanly  regiment, 
but  are  no  soldiers,  for  they  are  all  cowards,  and  denounced 
as  such  by  their  own  state.  They  were  out  on  two  recon- 
noitres, and  both  times  refused  to  go  into  action.  The  last 
time  the  9th  New  Jerseys  charged  bayonets  on  them  to 
drive  them  in,  but  they  broke  and  took  to  the  woods. 


PLYMOUTH,  N.  C.,  July  5,  '63. 

I  should  like  to  know  how  the  4th  was  celebrated  at 
home.  Our  Post  had  no  celebration,  dinner,  or  anything 
of  that  kind,  but  according  to  an  order  we  were  paraded 
on  the  parade  ground,  and  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
was  read  to  us  by  Lieut.  Kelley,  of  Co.  H,  acting  adjutant, 
after  which  a  committee  was  appointed  to  draw  up  reso- 
lutions for  publication,  our  views  and  opinions  of  the  war. 


FOOTFALLS   OF  LOYALTY.  19 

Col.  Maxwell,  Capt.  Alexander,  Co.  A,  First  Lieut.  O.  R. 
McNary,  quartermaster  of  the  103d,  Second  Lieut.  John 
Cochran,  Co.  C,  Sergeant  J.  Krugg,  Co.  K,  Corporal 
Stokes,  Co.  D,  and  Gibson,  of  Co.  B,  were  sent  to  draw 
up  and  report.  In  the  meantime  Major  Gibson  treated 
us  to  a  short  speech.  The  resolutions  were  then  read  and 
unanimously  adopted. 

The  regiments  were  then  dismissed  to  their  quarters  to 
put  away  their  equipments  and  have  a  good  time  generally. 
All  work,  drill,  etc.,  suspended.  Had  no  demonstration 
beyond  the  firing  of  a  salute  at  noon  by  the  artillery  sta- 
tioned here,  which  was  answered  by  the  gunboats  hand- 
somely. 

The  officers  got  up  a  dinner  expressly  for  themselves, 
and  of  course  ate  it  themselves,  but  for  my  part  they 
were  welcome  to  it.  We  have  news  that  Vicksburg  has 
surrendered,  if  so,  the  rebellion  is  completely  severed. 


PLYMOUTH,  N.  C.,  July  31,  '63. 

Mud !  rain !  heat !  long,  hard,  tiresome  marches,  and  a 
prospect  of  measuring  our  strength  with  double  our  num- 
ber of  the  enemy.  Such  has  been  the  order  of  the  day  for 
several  days  past.  Last  Sunday  (the  26th)  at  9  A.M.  we 
were  ordered  to  be  ready  to  march  at  fifteen  minutes  of 
eleven,  with  three  days'  rations  and  forty  rounds  of  ammu- 
nition. At  the  time  we  fell  in  and  formed  the  brigade, 
moved  out  on  the  Aquia  road,  Col.  Lehman  commanded; 


20  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

marched   till  sundown;   stopped  at  Williamtown,  fifteen 
miles  march  ;  some  of  our  men  gave  out. 

We  started  next  morning  at  ten,  marched  nine  miles  to 
get  four;  burned  the  saw  mill  known  as  Foster's  mill;  the 
rain  began  falling  in  torrents  at  dark,  but  on  we  went, 
and  at  11  o'clock,  tired,  sleepy,  sore,  exhausted,  wet,  and 
muddy  we  halted  at  Jonesville  for  the  night;  only  about 
fifty  of  the  regiment  were  up ;  I  lay  down  on  the  ground 
•with  my  haversack  for  a  pillow ;  under  the  soothing  influ- 
ence of  a  heavy  shower  of  rain  I  fell  asleep  and  slept  till 
daylight.  At  ten  A.M.  we  started  again  for  Plymouth;  I 
took  it  barefoot,  half  the  regiment  ditto;  sometimes  the 
water  on  the  road  was  waist  deep.  We  got  home  at  four 
P.M.,  had  marched  just  fifty  miles. 


PLYMOUTH,  N.  C.,  Sept.  28,  1863. 
The  persimmons  are  getting  ripe,  so  we  can  have  some 
wild  fruit  to  eat.  I  suppose  yon  never  saw  a  persimmon. 
They  are  in  size  from  a  ground  cherry  to  a  hen's  egg. 
When  green  they  are  of  a  bright  green  color,  and  one  drop 
of  the  juice  would  pucker  your  mouth  worse  than  a  peck 
of  choke  cherries.  When  ripe  they  turn  near  the  color  of 
lean,  dead  flesh,  and  taste  like  a  well-preserved  tomato, 
if  anything,  sweeter.  The  best  kind  of  them  have  two 
seeds,  the  others  have  from  four  to  six.  The  seeds  resem- 
ble a  half-ripe  melon  seed.  They  are  in  the  flesh  of  the 
fruit,  which  in  color  resembles  currant  jelly.  The  rind 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  21 

is  as  thin  as  a  tomato,  and  very  tough.     Altogether  they 
are  a  nice  fruit  and  very  palatable. 

While  I  think  of  it  I  will  tell  you  how  a  party  termi- 
nated a  short  distance  from  here  not  long  ago.  One  of 
the  17th  N.  C.  was  discharged  and  came  home.  Four 
of  his  comrades  came  with  him,  their  regiment  lying  only 
twenty  miles  from  here.  The  girls,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
got  up  a  party  for  them  and  all  hands  anticipated  a  good 
time.  While  the  preparations  were  going  on  an  old  citi- 
zen, who  knew  all  the  parties  and  the  circumstances, 
came  to  our  picket  line  and  gave  information  leading  to 
their  capture,  and  offered  his  services  as  a  guide.  Twenty 
or  thirty  men  were  sent  out  to  the  place,  old  cit.  showing 
them  how  to  get  there  as  quietly  as  possible.  The  house 
was  quietly  surrounded.  The  inmates  were  having  a  good 
time  generally. 

Our  fellows  kept  quiet  and  let  them  have  the  best  of 
their  fun.  They  had  danced  until  they  were  tired,  when 
a  knock  was  heard  at  the  door.  "Who's  there?"  Open- 
ing the  door  one  of  the  Union  soldiers  said:  "These 
young  men  are  my  prisoners."  "  What  will  we  do,  what 
will  we  do?"  asked  a  young  reb.  "Jump  out  of  the 
window,"  said  a  girl.  Just  then  a  dozen  bayonets  were 
seen  gleaming  through  in  the  light  outside  of  the  window. 
"  Look  there,"  said  young  reb,  pointing  to  them.  "Run, 
run,"  said  the  girl,  "run  for  your  life."  He  turned  around 
with  a  look  of  horror  on  hisfface.  "Ah,  I  know  a  d — nd 


22  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

sight  better,  we  had  better  surrender  at  once."  They  began 
to  deny  knowing  anything  of  the  rebel  service,  or  that 
they  were  ever  soldiers.  Then  Mr.  Citizen,  the  guide, 
came  in.  There  was  no  more  denying,  they  all  hushed 
up  instantly.  Next  morning  found  them  safe  in  Plymouth 
jail  instead  of  bidding  tender  adieus  to  their  sweethearts 
and  lady-loves,  and  I  doubt  not  a  wiser  set  of  boys. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  23 


JOSEPH  M.  STETSON. 
Co.  K,  57th  KEG.  ILL.  VOL. 

CAMP  ROBINETT,  1 

CORINTH,  Miss.,  Feb.  15th,  1863.  / 

DEAR  SISTER  EMMA — Your  long  and  complimentary 
letter  of  the  7th  inst.  was  received  with  pleasure  last  night, 
and  I  read  with  deep  interest  your  fears  in  regard  to  our 
nation's  peril.  I  am  glad  that  the  resolutions  we  passed 
upon  at  Corinth  are  read  and  talked  of  by  our  brothers 
at  home.  I  hope  it  may  have  some  effect  on  the  "  copper- 
heads" that  are  disgracing  our  country  that  the  loyal  boys 
are  fighting  for.  I  still  have  faith  in  our  governor.  I 
believe  he  will  ask  of  us  nothing  but  what  is  right  and 
just  for  the  preservation  of  our  Union,  and  believe  he 
will  do  all  in  his  power  for  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  those 
he  has  called  upon  to  fight  his  country's  foes.  I  have  been 
reading  his  proclamation  to-day,  what  he  proposes  for  the 
benefit  of  Illinois  soldiers  who  are  sick  and  wounded  in 
hospitals.  If  the  people  work  with  him  Illinois  soldiers 
will  be  cared  for.  He  has  always  looked  for  his  soldiers 
after  they  have  been  engaged  in  battle.  His  presence  we 
remember  after  the  bloody  battles  of  Shiloh,  Corinth,  and 
elsewhere.  "  Dick  Yates  don't  feel  above  speaking  to  a 
private  soldier,"  I  have  heard  thousands  of  times,  and  I 


24  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 

know  that  he  has  the  good-will  and  respect  of  all  II^M! 
boys  at  the  front. 

I  little  thought  ray  last  letter  would  be  so  long  reac'liing 
you,  and  for  fear  this  might  be  an  age  on  the  road,  I  Lave 
bought  some  thick  paper  that  I  guess  will  stand  the  jaunt. 
Hope  I  will  have  another  as  pleasant  a  dream  as  I  had 
last  night  after  reading  your  letter.  What  do  you  sup- 
pose it  was  ?  I  dreamed  that  I  was  at  home  talking  with 
sister  Em,  and  reading  over  old  novels,  just  as  we  used 
to,  and  so  many  other  things  that  I  can't  remember  them. 
I  only  wish  they  had  been  true.  Taps  have  sounded,  so 
good  night  and  happy  dreams. 


THE  SAME. 

CAMP  ROBINETT,  \ 

CORINTH,  Miss.,  July  5,  1863.  / 

One  year  ago  I  thought  by  another  Fourth  this  wicked, 
unholy  rebellion  would  be  crushed,  but  still  we  are  engaged 
in  warfare  ;  but  our  cause,  we  think,  is  just,  and  that  we 
are  fighting  for  life,  liberty,  and  pursuit  of  happiness,  and, 
if  my  health  is  spared,  I  feel  that  if  it  is  necessary  for  me 
to  serve  longer  than  my  time,  I  will  stay  until  the  last 
rebel  is  conquered.  Last  night  we  (our  squad)  ate  that 
large  raisin  cake  for  supper.  I  cut  it  into  twelve  pieces, 
so  each  one  could  have  a  taste,  and  all  pronounced  it 
delicious.  The  sponge  cake  was  also  excellent,  and  kept 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  25 

very  moist,  I  stewed  some  of  the  dried  apples  for  dinner. 
The  shirt  fits  exact;  the  boys  are  quite  inquisitive  about 
it.  I  can  hardly  pass  through  the  regiment  without  hear- 
ing some  one  say,  "  Hello,  Joe,  where  did  you  get  that 
hickory  shirt  ? "  Such  shirts  are  scarce  in  the  army.  I 
know  of  but  two  excepting  my  own.  You  wished  to 
know  what  had  become  of  our  chaplain.  For  the  past  two 
or  three  months  he  has  been  at  home  sick,  and  is  excusa- 
ble, but  he  hardly  ever  preaches  when  he  is  here.  He  kept 
a  sutler's  shop  in  town  until  he  was  ordered  back  to  his  regi- 
ment. So  you  see  we  can't  depend  on  him  for  much  ser- 
vice. 


TO  THE  SAME. 

CORINTH,  Miss.,  July  26,  1863. 

I  am  just  relieved  from  picket  duty ;  was  stationed  in  a 
blackberry  patch,  and  had  a  good  time  eating  berries  yes- 
terday. I  witnessed  rather  a  solemn  scene  Thursday 
morning — a  deserter  and  spy  shot  dead.  A.  J.  Johnson, 
1st  Ala.  Cavalry,  U.  S.  A.,  deserted  his  picket  post,  taking 
with  him  two  horses  and  equipments,  and  turning  the  same 
over  to  the  rebels,  and  joining  them  also.  Our  cavalry 
took  him  prisoner  in  Tennessee  on  the  last  expedition,  cap- 
turing the  horses,  too.  He  was  tried  and  sentenced  to  be 
shot,  by  order  of  the  president,  and  last  Thursday  the 
whole  division  was  formed  in  a  three-sided  square;  the 
Chaplain  then  led  the  prisoner  on  the  ground,  where  a 


26  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

sort  of  procession  was  formed,  the  band  leading ;  four  men 
with  a  black  coffin  followed  next,  the  Chaplain  and  pris- 
oner behind.  They  were  marched  in  this  form  around 
the  whole  line,  the  prisoner  being  led  by  the  Chaplain, 
who  looked  very  serious  and  as  pale  as  death.  I  tell  you, 
Em,  it  is  a  solemn  scene  to  see  a  man  following  his  own 
coffin,  and  keeping  time  to  the  muffled  drums.  After 
marching  around  the  line  he  was  led  to  the  center,  blind- 
folded, and  seated  on  his  coffin.  He  was  then  given  time 
to  say  what  he  wished  (a  few  words  which  I  could  not 
understand) ;  the  Chaplain  then  prayed  for  him.  Twelve 
men  of  the  1st  Ala.  Cavalry  were  ordered  to  form  a  line 
eight  paces  from  the  prisoner,  with  guns,  six  being  loaded 
with  bullets  and  six  with  blank  cartridges.  The  com- 
mand, ready,  aim,  fire,  was  then  given  by  an  officer,  and 
the  prisoner  fell  dead  instantly,  without  a  struggle,  six 
balls  passing  through  his  person,  two  through  his  head, 
the  others  through  his  breast. 


POST  HOSPITAL,  ROME,  GA.,  1 
July  21,  1864.      / 

I  have  finished  copying  the  prescriptions,  and  got  my 
work  pretty  well  done  up.  Well,  I  suppose  you  would 
like  to  know  how  I  spent  the  4th  of  July.  I  was  busy 
in  the  hospital  most  of  the  day ;  walked  up  town  in  the 
afternoon  to  see  what  was  going  on ;  found  ambulances 
and  soldiers  passing  to  and  fro  as  usual.  It  reminded  me 


FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY,  27 

of  our  glorious  victory  at  Vicksburg,  4th  of  July,  1863, 
and  how  much  our  army  has  accomplished  in  the  last  year, 
and  of  the  struggle  that  is  still  going  on  that  we  may  cele- 
brate that  day  free  and  independent,  under  the  same  flag 
our  forefathers  bequeathed  to  us,  and  every  loyal  man 
ought  to  feel  a  pride  in  sustaining  it.  I  often  think  the 
North  should  be  more  determined,  and  send  every  man 
into  the  field  that  is  able  to  bear  arms,  then  we  should 
very  soon  see  the  end  of  this  wicked  and  traitorous  rebel- 
lion. The  South  has  sent  every  man  into  the  field  that  is 
able  to  go,  old  and  young.  Those  copperheads  in  Illinois 
that  won't  volunteer  ought  to  be  drafted — but  I  am  de- 
livering quite  a  speech  to  one  who  does  not  need  it.  You! 
may  send  this  part  to  some  "  vile  copperhead."  I  cannot 
help  feeling  provoked  to  see  loyal  men  fighting  rebels,  and 
then  have  to  contend  with  traitors  in  the  rear.  If  our 
Illinois  soldiers  had  the  privilege  of  voting,  I  know  they 
would  have  Yates  in  the  governor's  chair.  He  is  the 
soldier's  friend,  and  a  lover  of  his  country.  As  I  have  not 
the  privilege  of  voting,  you  must  vote  and  electioneer  for 
me. 


FT.  BROWN,  SAVANNAH,  GA.,  \ 
January  7,  1865.      J 

Sherman's  army  is  now  preparing  for  another  forward 
movement.  The  most  of  the  17th  A.  C.  have  gone  on 
transports.  I  don't  know  where,  but  I  presume  to  Ft. 


28  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

Beaufort  or  Port  Royal.  The  report  in  this  evening's 
paper  is,  that  Gov.  Brown  has  dismissed  the  Georgia  State 
Militia,  and  claims  protection  under  the  old  flag.  The 
stars  and  stripes  wave  over  the  most  of  Georgia  soil.  Gen. 
Hood  has  lost  the  most  of  his  army.  Communications  to 
Lee's  army  from  the  south  and  south-west  are  nearly  all 
destroyed.  We  are  confident  that  our  army  can  easily 
take  Charleston  and  Wilmington.  I  would  like  to  know 
what  there  is  then  left  of  secessiondom  ? — -a  vast  territory, 
with  its  railroads  and  means  of  transportation  destroyed, 
and  the  country  devastated.  They  will  be  compelled  to 
submit  to  United  States  rule.  It  is  true,  General  Lee  has 
a  large  army  in  Virginia,  but  that  state  cannot  sustain 
more  than  its  own  inhabitants;  and  one  thing  certain, 
when  Charleston  falls  they  cannot  receive  supplies  from 
the  south-west.  The  15th  A.  C.  had  a  grand  review  to- 
day. 


GOLDSBORO,  April  9,  1865, 1 
Sunday  afternoon.         J 

DEAR  SISTER — To-morrow  we  again  start  on  a  cam- 
paign. The  troops  are  in  the  best  of  spirits,  and  rejoicing 
over  the  capture  of  Richmond  and  the  rout  of  Lee's  scat- 
tered and  demoralized  army.  I  see  by  New  York  papers 
of  the  5th  that  Grant  is  following  him.  Oh  !  it  is  glorious 
news  for  our  nation.  It  surely  looks  as  though  the  end 
was  near  at  hand.  Sherman,  I  suppose,  will  move  for 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  29 

Joe  Johnston  ;  and  when  Sherman  starts  out  we  think 
of  nothing  but  success,  for,  you  know,  his  army  has  never 
been  defeated.  I  believe  this  will  be  our  last  campaign. 
Would  we  not  have  a  joyful  time  if  I  should  get  home 
by  the  4th  of  July,  and  celebrate  that  day  as  a  free  and 
united  people  ?  I  have  frequently  heard  it  remarked  as 
Sherman's  saying,  that  "  in  less  than  two  months  he  would 
discharge  one  of  the  best  armies  the  sun  ever  shone  upon." 
We  all  feel  proud  to  belong  to  Sherman's  army.  He  has 
led  us  through  so  many  glorious  campaigns,  and  marked 
our  roads  safely  over  rivers,  swamps,  and  creeks,  through 
the  heart  of  the  Confederacy,  reaping  victories  and  de- 
molishing the  C.  S.  A.  We  hope  soon  the  "  last  swath  will 

be  cut."     I  fear  it  will  be  some  time  before   I  receive 

% 

any  more  of  your  good  long  letters,  as  Gen.  Sherman  has 
ordered  all  mail  for  his  army  to  be  stopped  at  Ft.  Monroe. 
We  will  probably  get  no  more  letters  from  home  until 
this  campaign  is  over. 


30  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

WILLIAM  H.  ROGERS, 

Oo.  G,  55th  O.  V.  I. 

TO  HIS  MOTHER. 

STAFFORD,  VA.,  \ 
Jan.  10,  1863.  f 

DEAR  MOTHER — This  is  an  awful  dull  place  they  have 
got  us  into  this  time.  Not  much  to  do  but  drill,  inspection, 
and  guard.  No  marching,  papers  scarce,  little  news.  I 
have  applied  for  a  furlough,  am  to  be  examined  this  P.M.; 
have  little  hopes  of  succeeding  or  I  would  not  be  writing 
this.  I  have  the  assistance  of  the  Co.  officers,  the  Col., 
.  and  assistant  surgeon,  and  if  they  can't  carry  me  through 
I  can't  go. 

"SECOND  DISPATCH,"  TWO  DAYS  LATER. 
I  stopped  writing  Saturday  to  go  over  to  the  medical 
director's  to  be  examined.     I  cannot  get  a  furlough.     The 
surgeon  said  I  was  too  good  looking;  that  my  face  con- 
demned me.     I  was  too  healthy.     Think  I  should  have 
enjoyed  a  month  home  very  much.     I  left  but  one  thing 
untried  and  that  was  to  "play  off."     I  had  not  the  cheek 
to  do  that;  your  letter  did  me  much  good.     Besides  the 
pleasure  always  afforded  by  receiving  news  from  home,  I 
know  that  you  are  not  wanting  for  anything  and  are  always 
in  good  spirits.      We  think  it  our  right  to  grumble  at 
.anything  and  everything,  a  right  our  forefathers  fought 


FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY.  31 

for,  and  which  is  guaranteed  to  us  by  the  "Declaration 
of  Independence"  and  "Army  Regulations,"  and  as  soldiers 
in  this  glorious  cause  we  claim  our  prerogatives  in  this 
case.  I  don't  know  as  the  papers  tell  it,  but  we  know 
our  Reg.  is  A  No.  1  in  drill,  cleanliness,  and  discipline, 
and  ready  for  a  fight,  but  remember  we  are  not  spoiling  for 
a  fight.  I  am  very  sorry  that  E.'s  people  have  put  them- 
selves to  so  much  trouble  as  to  attend  to  my  affairs,  or 
perhaps  according  to  their  statement  it  would  be  more 
proper  to  say  "our  affairs."  I  think  in  the  future  we 
can  save  them  the  trouble.  Please  tell  them  if  they  feel 
anxious,  that  I  need  no  assistance.  I  am  not  afraid  of 
any  one  that  "  won't  go  to  war."  A  young  man  that  stays 
at  home  when  needed  by  his  country  as  much  as  it  needs 
him  now  is  of  no  force.  He  may  have  "fine  points," 
and  be  a  model  young  man  and  all  that,  but  we  can't  see 
it  in  that  light.  He  has  not  the  first  principle  of  true  man- 
hood. One  who  is  false  to  his  country  will  be  false  to  his 
God  and  to  mankind. 

I  must  send  a  soldier's  letter  (unstamped)  again.  I 
have  borrowed  so  many  stamps  from  the  boys  I  had  to 
pay  them  back  first. 


CAMP  NEAR  BELL  PLAIN  LANDING,  \ 
Feb.  1,  1862.      / 

When  Burnside  made  his  second  attempt  to  cross  the 
river  we  were  sent  here  to  occupy  the  place  of  troops 


32  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 

that  were  to  advance,  this  corps  being  in  the  rear.  Left 
Stafford  on  the  20th  of  Jan.  We  have  been  busy  build- 
ing quarters  since  we  have  been  here;  had  two  days  of 
very  bad  weather,  one  in  particular  I  think  I  shall  re- 
member as  long  as  I  live — working  all  day  in  a  heavy  snow 
storm,  and  a  miserable  muddy  hole  to  sleep  in  at  night. 
Only  a  bit  of  a  toothache  the  next  day  reminded  me  that 
I  had  not  escaped  entirely  unscathed.  I  don't  think  the 
army  of  the  Potomac  will  do  anything  of  importance  for 
the  next  two  or  three  months. 

Our  chaplain  is  preaching  near  by,  but  I  must  write. 
I  don't  like  him  much,  he  thinks  the  shoulder  straps  make 
lots  of  difference. 


BROOKS  STATION,  YA.,  May  11,  1863. 

AFTER  THE   BATTLE   OF   CHANCELLORSVILLE. 

I  received  your  letter  of  the  5th  on  the  9th,  and  right 
glad  was  I  to  hear  from  you  again.  On  the  same  day 
(the  5th)  I  wrote  to  you  we  were  behind  breastworks 
waiting  for  the  enemy,  and  expected  every  minute  to 
hear  the  sentinels  fire.  We  had  passed  through  one 
terrible  trial,  and  we  felt  considerably  broken  in  spirit. 
I  felt  worse  than  I  did  after  the  Bull  Kun  fight.  But 
the  next  day  after  our  battle  here  we  repulsed  the  enemy 
with  terrible  slaughter  to  them.  Still  our  corps  is  resting 
under  a  disgrace.  We  felt  confident  of  victory.  "  Man 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  33 

proposes,  but  God  disposes,"  and  he  or  some  one  else 
blinded  our  general's  eyes  so  they  could  not  see  what  was 
going  on;  a  blind  man  might  have  seen  it,  it  was  so  pal- 
pable. 

I  have  just  finished  a  plate  of  bean  soup  minus  the  plate. 

I  do  not  know  what  we  are  going  to  do ;  many  rumors 
are  afloat  in  camp,  among  them  is  one  that  Gen.  Siegel  is 
in  Washington  trying  to  get  command  of  the  llth  Corps. 
This  is  grasped  at  and  readily  believed. 

Col.  Lee  has  resigned ;  he  leaves  us  to-morrow.  I  had 
a  talk  with  him  this  morning.  Said  I  wanted  him  to  clear 
this  thing  up  in  the  minds  of  the  people  and  let  them 
know  that  the  55th  O.  V.  I.  is  not  a  band  of  cowards  to 
run  at  the  first  fire  and  leave  our  flag  to  be  disgraced.  He 
said  the  people  should  see  how  the  matter  stood  if  it  was 
in  his  power. 

Our  Lieut.  Col.  offered  his  resignation,  and  about  twenty 
line  officers  had  theirs  written  to  send  in  if  the  Lt.  Col.'s 
should  be  accepted,  but  the  news  got  to  head-quarters,  and 
the  Gen.  shut  down  on  the  plan.  Suppose  I  had  better 
stop  writing  and  brush  up  a  little  as  we  are  going  to  have 
corps  drill  in  half  an  hour. 


LOOK  OUT  VALLEY,  TENN.,  > 
Nov.  20,  1863.      J 

We  have  made  one  change  since  I  wrote  you  last,  and 
that  was  only  a  few  rods  to  get  behind  a  hill  out  of  the 
4 


34  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

sight  of  the  enemy  on  Look  Out  Mt.  We  are  having 
plenty  to  do  now.  They  detail  the  pickets,  then  take  all 
the  rest  for  "  fatigue  duty."  We  are  building  forts  and 
corduroys. 

I  don't  believe  the  people  know  what  the  llth  and  12th 
Corps  have  done  in  here  for  the  cause.  We  saved  East 
Tenn.  by  opening  the  river  nearly  to  Chattanooga.  Our 
officers  were  talking  of  evacuating  the  city,  and  East  Tenn. 
must  have  been  evacuated  as  a  matter  of  course  if  the  main 
army  fell  back.  The  rebel  papers  say  of  this  movement 
of  Hooker's:  "  Never  was  there  a  campaign  better  planned 
or  more  brilliantly  executed  than  this."  They  acknowl- 
edge that  we  are  able  to  hold  our  position  against  great 
odds. 

The  rumors  of  Sherman's  whereabouts  are  numerous. 
Some  say  he  is  passing  up  the  other  side  of  the  river  to 
flank  the  enemy  on  the  right,  others  that  he  is  already  on 
the  left  trying  to  get  into  the  back  door  of  their  kitchen. 


CAMP  FOSTER,  TENN.,  July  30,  1864. 
This  is  Saturday  night.  I  have  just  got  through  with 
the  labors  of  the  day,  and  scrubbed  up  for  inspection, 
which  comes  every  Sunday  morning,  but  to-morrow  being 
the  last  day  of  the  month,  we  are  to  have  more  than  usual. 
For  my  part  I  had  rather  be  at  home  and  go  to  Sunday- 
school  or  church  than  to  attend  the  inspection,  but  it  must 
be  done  and  I  will  have  to  take  Co.  G  out,  as  our  Capt. 
is  on  duty. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  35 

No  excitement  here  except  the  news  of  heavy  firing 
near  Atlanta. 

I  reckon  myself  pretty  fortunate  in  getting  the  order  to 
report  when  I  did.  I  see  the  old  Regt.  had  its  share  in 
the  battle.  Have  seen  no  casualty  list,  and  would  like 
to  hear  direct  from  there  as  to  how  the  boys  fared  in  the 
fight. 

The  body  of  Gen.  McPherson  passed  through  the  city 
last  Sunday.  I  was  on  duty  in  town,  but  was  released 
before  the  procession  passed  through.  Another  brave  and 
good  soldier  has  given  all  he  can  for  the  cause  of  liberty. 
It  seems  that  this  is  not  enough,  many  others  must  pay  the 
same.  It  is  dearly  bought,  but  priceless  in  value. 


CAMP  FOSTER,  Sept.  16,  1864. 

We  have  just  had  a  bit  of  excitement  in  camp.  Some 
of  the  new  recruits  were  talking  of  running  the  lines  to- 
night, and  were  overheard  by  the  guard,  who  reported  the 
fact  to  me.  I  gave  strict  orders  to  stop  every  man.  Some 
of  the  men  were  playing  and  running  about,  making  a 
great  deal  of  noise,  and  ran  too  close  to  the  sentinel,  who 
ordered  him  to  halt,  but  he  did  not  stop,  then  he  was  fired 
on.  Fortunately  for  the  man  the  sentinel  was  a  poor  shot 
— nobody  hurt.  I  expected  a  row,  but  it  did  not  come. 

I  have  not  read  Gov.  Seymour's  speech.  There  is  so 
much  of  such  treason  talked  I  do  not  care  to  notice  it.  I 
get  so  angry  every  time  I  read  anything  of  that  kind 


36  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

that  I  almost  shun  it.     If  McClellan  is  elected  I  shall 
make  every  honorable  effort  to  get  out  of  the  service. 

When  this  government  becomes  so  corrupt  and  the  peo- 
ple so  debased  as  to  elect  such  a  man  to  preside  over  their 
destinies,  I  shall  abandon  them  to  their  fate  and  seek  in 
other  countries  the  peace  we  shall  never  know  here.  Peace 
on  the  McClellan  basis  means  submission  and  humiliation 
to  rebels  in  arms,  to  autocrats  of  the  South.  It  means 
separation  infinitely  small  or  eternal  war.  You  know  with- 
out my  telling  you  that  I  would  not  support  Me. 


NASHVILLE,  TENN.,  Dec.  11,  1864. 

Micawber  like,  I  have  been  "  waiting  for  something  to 
turn  up."  We  are  situated  on  a  high  bluff  overlooking 
the  city  and  the  Cumberland  river.  We  also  have  a  fine 
view  of  the  left  line  of  our  battle.  I  have  seen  them 
make  two  reconnoisances  since  we  have  been  here.  It 
seems  strange  to  me  to  lay  back  and  look  on  without  hav- 
ing a  hand  in  the  matter. 

Very  cold  weather  at  present,  wood  scarce.  Gen.  Thomas 
has  issued  an  order  to  take  wood  wherever  it  can  be  found. 
There  was  a  hard  fight  at  Franklin  two  weeks  ago.  The 
rebels  came  up  in  column,  charged  and  re-charged,  but  to 
no  effect.  They  left  the  ground  strewn  with  dead  and 
dying.  Two  rebel  corps  went  back  badly  demoralized  on 
account  of  their  heavy  loss.  I  hoped  Hood  would  try  the 
same  thing  at  this  point,  but  he  seems  to  have  grown  cau- 
tious. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  37 

CAMP  FOSTER,  Jan.  10,  1865. 

We  are  pretty  well  fixed  up  again;  have  a  log  cabin 
12x14,  one  door,  window,  and  fire-place.  We  have  a 
home-made  "  French "  bedstead,  an  arm  chest  for  a  sofa, 
a  cedar  bough  wash-stand,  an  office  table  and  desk,  ammu- 
nition boxes  for  chairs.  Although  we  have  no  Brussels 
carpet  we  have  something  as  soft — mud. 

I  don't  see  how  there  can  be  more  than  two  parties  in 
this  war.  I  cannot  conceive  of  a  man,  an  American,  who  is 
neutral.  I  should  say  of  a  person  who  called  himself 
neutral,  that  he  either  had  no  soul  or  was  a  liar.  Now 
if  it  is  a  fact  that  there  are  two  parties,  and  I  can  see 
no  possible  chance  for  a  third,  a  man  that  cannot  support 
the  war  for  the  Union  must  be  a  rebel  in  soul  if  not  in 
body.  War  democrats,  copperheads,  and  rebels  are  all  of 
the  same  family.  I  can  see  no  difference  except  in  name. 
Mr.  K.  got  my  opinion  of  men  of  that  kind  if  he  read 
my  last  letter  to  Uncle  O.,  for  I  had  occasion  to  speak  of 
them,  and  I  did  not  "touch  lightly."  Am  glad  I  was 
not  at  home  when  he  was  there  for  I  could  neither  have 
heard  him  talk  or  talked  with  him  without  saying  some- 
thing personal  and  offensive.  War  democrats!  A  man 
is  either  a  Union  man  or  he  is  not. 

I  had  an  application  for  leave  of  absence  written  when 
my  attention  was  called  to  the  following:  "Officers  on 
leave  of  absence  will  not  be  paid."  Thought  I  would 
wait,  as  I  have  nearly  six  months'  pay  due. 


38  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 

MONTGOMERY  WISEMAN, 
4TH  KY.  VOL.  I. 

TO  HIS  SISTER  FANNY. 

LEBANON,  KY.,  Dec.  16, 1861. 

We  have  drawn  our  new  clothes,  and  they  are  the  nicest 
you  ever  saw.  We  have  two  suits,  and  are  not  allowed  to 
wear  one  suit  off  parade.  No  man  is  allowed  to  go  dirty 
or  slouchy.  We  have  to  brush  our  clothes  and  black  our 
boots  before  going  on  parade.  There  are  2,000  regular 
troops  joining  our  camp,  and  they  are  all  uniformed  like 
officers,  feathered  hats  and  epaulets,  but  we  have  as  close 
regulations  as  they  do.  Fanny,  I  wish  you  were  here  to 
see  the  sights.  The  whole  country  is  one  perfect  encamp- 
ment, and  to  see  them  all  in  battalion  drill  is  a  scene  you 
would  never  forget.  At  reveille,  or  tattoo,  the  noise,  of 
the  bands  are  deafening,  and  trains  coming  in  with  2,000 
or  3,000  troops  on  board  is  a  nice  picture. 

This  is  the  best  place  we  have  camped  at  yet.  Can  get 
anything  and  everything  we  need.  Lebanon  is  a  very 
large  town.  We  don't  know  how  long  we  will  stay  here, 
it  is  thought  we  will  leave  in  a  few  days  for  Tennessee. 


CASTILLIAN  SPRINGS,  Dec.  8, 1862. 
You  do  not  know,  dear  sister,  the  weight  of  anxiety 
your  letter  has  removed  from  my  mind.     I  was  away 


FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY.  39 

south  when  the  rebels  first  invaded  our  state.  Could  I 
have  had  the  chance  I  should  have  gone  home.  I  bought 
a  rifle  on  purpose  for  the  bushwhackers,  but  when  we  had 
driven  the  rebels  out  of  the  state,  I  would  have  died  be- 
fore having  the  stigma  of  desertion  attached  to  my  name, 
as  some  of  our  boys  have. 

We  have  met  with  a  sad  defeat.  Yesterday  a  portion 
of  Col.  Owen's  brigade,  consisting  of  1,800  men,  stationed 
at  Hartsville,  on  the  Cumberland  river,  was  surrounded 
and  surprised  and  taken  prisoners  by  the  rebels,  consisting 
of  Roger  Hanson's  infantry  and  Morgan's  cavalry,  all  Ken- 
tuckians.  They  found  our  pickets  asleep  and  were  in  the 
camp  just  at  break  of  day,  before  our  men  knew  they  were 
about.  Our  men  fought  them  bravely  for  over  an  hour, 
but  were  new  troops  and  could  not  form  a  line,  so  they  had 
to  surrender  to  superior  numbers. 

As  soon  as  the  firing  was  heard  Gen.  Miller  was  dis- 
patched from  this  place  with  his  brigade  to  Hartsville, 
eight  miles,  double  quick.  He  got  there  soon  after  the 
surrender,  and  had  he  pushed  on  could  have  taken  the 
whole  rebel  force  before  they  crossed  the  river.  He 
stopped  and  threw  shells  at  them  until  they  had  crossed 
over  with  all  their  prisoners.  We  were  on  picket,  and 
were  called  in  about  10  o'clock,  and  sent  to  Hartsville, 
got  there  too  late,  and  came  back  the  same  night.  Have 
heard  cannonading  all  day  in  the  direction  of  Murfrees- 
boro,  and  have  been  kept  under  arms.  In  the  morning  we 


40  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

start  for  Hartsville  and  cross  the  Cumberland,  not  to  stop 
until  we  find  an  enemy.  So  says  Col.  Fry.  He  and  the 
4th  Kentucky  and  2d  brigade  are  the  terror  of  the  rebels. 
They  have  fled  from  him,  and  if  we  ever  catch  them  look 
out  for  another  Mill  Spring. 

Our  regiment  don't  walk  on  a  march,  we  run,  and  a 
horse  has  to  trot  to  keep  up  with  us.  There  is  not  a  better 
regiment  in  the  service. 


NASHVILLE,  Jan.  17, 1863. 

We  are  camped  four  and  a  half  miles  from  Nashville. 
The  talk  is  that  we  will  go  on  to  the  front  of  Rosecrans' 
army,  in  which  case  we  will  probably  get  a  hitch  at  old 
Bragg  again  at  Tallahoma  or  Chattanooga. 

Our  Morgan  chase  into  Kentucky  kept  us  out  of  the 
Murfreesboro  fight.  The  8th  Kentucky  caught  it  pretty 
severely,  though.  Our  old  comrades,  the  3d  Kentucky, 
of  Camp  Dick  memory,  were  cut  up  very  badly. 

It  is  thought  since  the  waters  are  up  there  will  be  a 
general  forward  movement  all  over  the  West.  If  there 
come  floods  enough  to  raise  our  gunboats  over  the  muscles 
shoals  in  Tennessee  river  the  jig  is  up  with  the  rebs,  as 
Chattanooga  is  then  ours,  and  we  can  send  as  many  troops 
as  we  please  into  the  rear  of  the  rebels,  and  our  boats  can 
run  up  into  East  Tennessee. 

We  left  Gallitan  on  the  cars  for  Nashville,  and  that 
night  guerilla  Wheeler  dashed  in  below  Nashville  with 


FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY.  41 

his  cavalry  and  burned  three  steamboats,  one  of  them 
full  of  wounded  soldiers.  The  next  morning  we  started 
in  pursuit  and  chased  them  twenty  miles  in  the  rain  and 
sleet  and  caught  them,  as  a  matter  of  course,  with  them 
twelve  hours  the  start  of  us,  they  mounted  and  we  afoot. 
We  camped  that  night  at  the  house  of  a  rich  old  bush- 
whacker, took  all  of  his  buildings  to  sleep  inj  burned  his 
fences,  and  took  his  feed.  A  brigade  of  East  Tennesseeans 
took  his  meat  and  everything  they  could  find.  The  East 
Tennesseeans  clean  the  rebels  out  where  they  go. 


LA  VERGXE,  TENN.,  Feb.  13th,  1863. 

We  are  busily  engaged  in  building  a  fort,  and  it  is  going 
to  be  one  of  the  neatest  things  I  ever  saw,  and  I  believe 
when  we  get  it  finished  it  will  put  Bragg  and  his  whole 
army  at  their  wits'  end  to  take  it. 

The  leaven  of  Kentucky  treason  is  at  work  here.  Our 
regiment  did  very  well  until  stirred  up  by  home  traitors, 
and  now  it  is  almost  dangerous  to  proclaim  loyalty  to  the 
government.  Our  camp  is  like  a  den  of  wild  beasts,  but 
I  believe  our  officers  are  loyal.  I  don't  think  justice  can 
be  done  to  Kentucky  unless  she  secedes  and  is  scourged  as 
her  sister  Tennessee  has  been,  which  I  consider  the  test 
state  of  the  two.  Kentucky  is  in  an  uproar  and  threatens 
to  secede.  If  she  calls  in  her  troops,  as  she  threatens  to, 
I  may  get  to  see  you  all  again,  for  as  certain  as  this  regi- 


42  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

ment  is  ordered  in,  and  it  obeys,  the  state  cannot  command 
my  service,  for  I  shall  set  myself  free. 

Large  bodies  of  troops  are  pouring  into  Nashville  every 
day,  and  moving  off  on  the  Columbia  road.  Something 
of  importance  will  take  place  in  Tennessee  now. 


LA  VERGNE,  TENN.,  May  3,  1863. 

Gen.  Steadman,  at  present  commanding  our  brigade, 
took  us  out  two  days  ago  on  an  expedition  beyond  Stone 
river.  We  went  with  our  wagons  to  the  guerilla  head- 
quarters, and  for  every  man  concerned  in  the  burning  of 
trains  or  robbing  of  sutler  wagons  we  hauled  off  all  his 
corn,  grain,  and  forage,  leaving  them  nothing  to  subsist  on. 
This  seems  hard,  but  think  how  they  burned  up  our 
wounded  in  the  cars  and  on  the  boats,  and  they  murder 
every  soldier  they  capture.  I  have  respect  for  a  confed- 
erate soldier  who  puts  on  a  uniform  and  shows  his  hand, 
but  for  a  sneaking  bushwhacker,  they  deserve  no  mercy. 

Gen.  Steadman  told  them  if  they  did  not  come  in  and 
take  the  oath  he  would  burn  every  house  within  ten  miles 
of  Stone  river.  One  of  the  houses  we  found  full  of  sutler 
goods. 

We  have  turned  over  our  tents  and  drawn  spreads,  com- 
monly called  dog  tents,  and  I  pity  the  dog  that  could  not 
afford  better  lodgings.  Spread  a  table  cloth  over  a  pole 
about  waist  high  and  you  have  a  good  sample  of  a  dog 
tent.  It  is  too  thin  to  give  shade  or  turn  rain,  and  won't 


FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY.  43 

stop  southern  dew.  We  have  made  cedar  bough  houses 
over  the  "doggies,"  and  the  camp  presents  the  nicest  ap- 
pearance. 

I  have  no  expectation  of  eating  peaches  at  home  this 
summer,  for  the  western  army  has  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  if  old  Richmond  is  ever  taken,  we  will  have  to  do 
it.  "All  is  quiet  on  the  Potomac,"  is  a  by-word  in  our 
department.  It  is  thought  Lee  is  throwing  the  Virginia 
army  into  Tennessee,  and  we  will  have  to  fight  the  com- 
bined southern  forces. 


WINCHESTER,  TENN.,  Aug.  3, 1863. 

Don't  know  when  we  will  leave  this  place.  When  we 
do  it  will  be  for  Alabama  or  Georgia.  Our  cavalry  is  con- 
stantly bringing  in  rebel  prisoners.  The  negroes  are  formed 
into  the  1st  and  2d  Alabama  regiments. 

It  would  make  you  laugh  to  see  the  negro  officers  drill- 
ing their  men.  "Dress  up  in  ranks  dar,  Bill."  "Sam, 
doesn't  yo  knos  better  dan  dat?"  "Right  face  dar,  Joe 
and  Sam,"  but  they  learn  about  as  fast  as  any  people  in* 
the  world. 


44  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 


LIEUTENANT  P.  M.  BURR, 
Co.  B,  52d  Pa.  Vol. 

TO  HIS  SISTERS. 

YORKTOWN,  VA.,  Dec.  18,  1862. 

We  have  just  returned  from  a  foraging  expedition  to 
Galveston  Court  House ;  were  gone  four  days;  took  $40,000 
worth  of  property.  We  left  there  about  sundown ;  in  two 
hours  after  five  or  six  thousand  rebels  came  into  the  place, 
but  we  were  out  of  their  reach,  otherwise  we  would  have 
been  badly  whipped,  as  we  only  had  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
hundred  men.  We  have  just  received  the  particulars  of 
Gen.  Burnside's  defeat.  I  think  by  all  accounts  it  is  the 
worst  defeat  of  the  war.  We  are  daily  expecting  an  attack 
from  Gen.  Wise. 

The  drums  are  beating  and  I  must  go  and  call  the  roll. 


ST.  HELENA  ISLAND,  S.  C., ) 
Sunday,  March  15,  1863.  j 

I  thought  when  I  last  wrote  that  before  this  time  we 
would  be  knocking  at  the  gates  of  Charleston  for  admit- 
tance. Something  has  delayed  us.  Such  an  expedition 
takes  a  large  amount  of  time  and  expense  to  fit  it  out. 
We  have  not  over  ]  7,000  men  here  to  attack  the  place 
with,  while  we  think  the  enemy  has  from  20,000  to  30,000 
and  are  strongly  entrenched.  I  hope  they  will  get  things 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  45 

ready  pretty  soon  as  I  am  tired  of  lying  on  this  island.  It 
may  not  be  the  one  that  Napoleon  was  banished  to,  still 
the  name  sounds  bad. 


STEPHENS'  BATTERY,  July  2,  '63. 
We  are  now  camped  1|  miles  from  town  in  a  very  nice 
pine  grove.  I  like  the  change.  We  practice  firing  with 
64  pound  shells;  think  this  about  all  we  will  do,  for  I 
have  no  idea  the  rebels  will  ever  come  near  us  here.  They 
are  all  the  time  pounding  away  at  Charleston ;  I  would 
like  to  be  there ;  am  afraid  we  can't  go. 


HILTON  HEAD,  June  6,  1864. 

We  have  had  new  potatoes,  string  beans,  and  peas  for 
three  weeks;  rather  more  than  you  can  say. 

I  intend  to  stay  in  the  service  as  long  as  I  think  we 
are  needed  as  bad  as  we  are  now.  I  do  not  believe  in 
giving  up  the  ship  after  so  much  has  been  sacrificed.  Wish 
we  could  get  where  there  would  be  something  going  on, 
so  we  could  get  some  news  to  write  about,  but  I  see  no 
prospect  of  getting  away  from  here  at  present. 


MORRIS  ISLAND,  S.  C.,  Dec.  9,  '64. 
We  are  exchanging  prisoners  here  now.     It  is  impossi- 
ble to  describe  the  situation  of  our  poor  fellows.     Some  of 
them  are  nearly  starved  to  death  and  others  are  entirely 
destitute  of  clothing;  very  many  have  died  on  board  the 


46  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

boats;  some  four  or  five  hundred  were  brought  in  that  had 
not  tasted  food  for  two  days.  No  nation  can  prosper  that 
treats  its  prisoners  so  shamefully.  They  may  claim  they 
have  nothing  for  them  to  eat ;  then  let  them  be  liberated 
and  sent  back  to  us.  The  rebel  prisoners  get  nearly  the 
same  rations  as  we  do. 


MORRIS  ISLAND,  S.  C.,  Aug.  9,  '64. 
The  officers  that  have  been  under  fire  at  Charleston  were 
exchanged  and  came  to  Hilton  Head  when  I  was  there  a 
few  days  ago.  I  saw  Col.  Dana,  of  the  143d  Reg. ;  Col. 
Hoyt  did  not  like  to  wait  to  be  exchanged,  so  jumped  off 
the  cars  while  on  the  way  from  Macon  to  Charleston.  He 
was  gone  three  days  before  the  rebs  found  him.  Seventy- 
five  jumped  off  and  only  three  of  them  got  through  our 
lines.  They  say  the  darkies  did  all  they  could  for  them. 
The  rebs  have  made  it  rather  unpleasant  for  us  for  a  week 
past.  You  can  imagine  how  it  would  seem  to  be  waked 
up  in  the  night  by  the  bursting  of  a  200  pound  shell  and 
hear  the  pieces  tearing  through  the  tents.  Last  night  we 
marched  down  the  beach  to  get  out  of  range.  To-day  we 
are  digging  ditches  to  lay  in  nights.  Our  camp  seems  to 
be  the  present  object  of  attraction.  We  could  move  out  of 
range  but  it  would  please  them  too  well.  A  steamer  tried 
to  run  the  blockade  last  night;  got  grounded  on  Sullivan 
Island ;  this  morning  they  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
her  knocked  to  pieces  and  set  on  fire  by  our  guns.  We 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  47 

have  just  heard  that  Petersburg  has  been  blown  up  by  Gen. 
Grant,  and  one  S.  C.  Regt.  blown  out  of  the  world  in 
an  instant.  Both  sides  are  getting  more  desperate  every 
day,  and  as  that  feeling  increases,  so  will  the  cruelties  of 
war.  Thirty  thousand  of  our  poor  fellows  are  prisoners 
and  kept  in  an  open  field  back  of  Charleston  without  any 
shelter,  and  are  dying  off  at  the  rate  of  100  per  day. 


MOUNT  PLEASANT,  S.  C.,  March  8, 1865. 
There  has  been  quite  a  change  in  military  affairs  in  this 
department.  Of  course  you  have  heard  of  the  evacuation 
of  Charleston  and  all  of  the  surrounding  defenses  on  the 
night  of  the  17th.  We  had  been  expecting  some  such 
movement  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  for  some  time;  were 
watching  them  very  closely  in  order  to  be  the  first  to 
occupy  their  works.  On  the  morning  of  the  18th,  Major 
Hennessey  and  myself  started  with  one  boat  and  were 
the  first  to  raise  the  flag  on  Fort  Sumpter,  Ripley  Castle, 
Pinkney,  and  the  old  Post-office,  the  Citadel  and  Arsenal. 
We  were  at  the  lower  end  of  the  city  while  a  brigade  of 
rebels  were  at  the  railroad  depot,  and  their  cavalry  patrol- 
ling the  streets  within  300  yards  of  us.  We  were  there 
an  hour  before  any  troops  came.  If  they  could  have  got 
there  as  soon  as  we  did  we  could  have  taken  several  prison- 
ers and  saved  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  worth  of 
property.  They  were  setting  fire  to  the  U.  S.  arsenal  when 
fifty  of  our  regiment  arrived  on  the  double  quick.  If  they 


48  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 

had  succeeded  the  best  part  of  the  city  would  have  been 
destroyed,  as  there  was  a  large  amount  of  powder  and  shell 
stored  there.  Gen.  Potter  followed  them  about  fifty 
miles;  we  were  called  back  when  forty  miles  from  the 
city,  and  are  now  stationed  here  two  miles  from  Charles- 
ton, in- a  very  pleasant  little  village.  Quite  a  number  of 
families  are  living  here  and  some  pretty  nice  looking  young 
ladies.  Some  of  them  begin  to  think  a  Yankee  is  not  so 
bad  as  they  are  reported  to  be.  If  we  are  allowed  to  stay 
here  time  will  pass  more  agreeably  than  it  did  on  Morris 
Island.  The  52d  had  a  pretty  lively  skirmish  with  the 
rebel  cavalry  and  killed  two  of  them  with  no  loss  on  our 
side. 


The  above  letter  is  verified  by  newspaper  reports  of  the 
evacuation  of  Charleston,  reported  at  that  time. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  49 


LETTERS  TO  MRS.  RUTH  T.  W.  PIERCE. 


While  Mrs.  Pierce  was  visiting  in  Logan  Co.,  Ohio,  some 
one  wrote  an  article  to  a  home  paper  there  describing  the 
homesick  soldier  when  he  did  not  receive  letters  from  his 
friends.  On  the  impulse  of  the  moment  Mrs.  Pierce  ad- 
dressed a  letter  to  the  initials  signed  to  the  published 
article,  saying,  "When  you  get  this  call  all  the  boys  to- 
gether who  have  received  no  letters  by  this  mail,  read  it 
to  them,  and  tell  them  it  is  from  their  sister,"  and  through 
Lieut.  Kline  she  corresponded  with  Cos.  Q,  G,  E,  O,  and  I 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  But  two  copies  of  the  precious 
souvenirs  of  her  impulsive  patriotism,  so  richly  tinged  with 
romance,  yet  welded  still  deeper  into  the  reality  of  the 
homesick  soldiers'  appreciation,  survive  the  ravages  of 
twenty  years,  which  we  very  much  regret. 


BERWICK  CITY,  LA.,  March  6,  1864. 
MRS.  PIERCE — Yours  of  the  15th  of  last  month  has 
been  received  and  welcomed.     I  was  much  surprised,  as 
well  as  pleased  to  see  the  effect  my  poor  contribution  to 
the  Republican  had.     I  did  not  in  the  least  expect  it  to 
have  effect  upon  any  but  my  immediate  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances   that    would   benefit   us   here.     You   cannot 
imagine  the  manner  in  which  your  kind  letter  was  received 
5 


50  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

by  the  boys  for  whom  it  was  intended.  It  was  read  ami 
re-read,  not  only  by  those  who  received  no  letters,  but  by  all. 

It  was  accompanied  by  a  copy  of  the  Republican  that 
contained  the  production  signed  "G.  W.  KV  The  paper 
was  read  first,  then  your  letter.  The  boys  will  not  soon 
forget  it.  They  comprehended  at  once  its  meaning,  and 
the  object  the  writer  seemed  to  have  in  view.  I  hope  my 
letter  in  the  Republican  will  have  the  effect  to  move  many 
more  to  their  duty,  for  my  picture  of  the  disappointed 
soldier  was  but  a  mere  shadow,  or  the  mere  outline  of  the 
shadow  of  the  picture  of  a  soldier  that  is  disappointed  a 
few  times  when  mail  is  distributed.  I  have  some  poor  fel- 
lows in  my  company  that  wait  and  watch  for  months  for 
letters  from  their  dearest  friends  before  they  get  them.  I 
think  it  is  indeed  cruel  that  our  friends  should  become 
so  much  involved  in  pleasure  and  enjoyment  as  to  forget 
the  means  by  which  their  pleasure  is  secured  to  them.  We 
stand  as  a  mighty  wall  between  them  and  danger.  I  some- 
times think  they  are  very  ungrateful  to  us,  if  not  ungrate- 
ful, very  neglectful. 

The  pen  is  said  to  be  mightier  than  the  sword,  and  I 
begin  to  realize  it,  for  really  I  think  your  pen  has  done 
more  on  one  sheet  of  paper  towards  crushing  this  rebel- 
lion, than  the  sword  I  have  carried  for  more  than  two 
years  and  a  half.  I  don't  want  to  bring  reproach  upon 
my  own  sword,  neither  do  I  wish  it  ever  to  be  disgraced, 
but  it  never  has  as  yet  touched  an  enemy,  and  I  don't 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  51 

know  that  it  ever  had  the  tendency  to  revive  and  enliven 
Co.  I  as  much  as  your  letter  has,  in  the  eighteen  months  I 
have  carried  it  in  the  Company. 

I  agree  with  you  exactly  in  the  direction  of  honors,  as  to 
officers  and  privates.  I  think  more  of,  and  honor  the  low- 
est private  in  the  rear  ranks  much  more  than  a  great  many 
officers  with  whom  I  have  become  acquainted  in  the  service 
of  Uncle  Sam. 

I  am  slightly  acquainted  about  Pickereltown,  but  to  do 
my  best  I  cannot  bring  to  remembrance  Hettie  and  Mollie 
and  Abbie  and  Julia.  The  soldiers  you  wrote  of  being  at 
the  literary  society  I  am  do  doubt  acquainted  with,  for  I 
used  to  live  in  Harmon's  settlement,  and  possibly  those 
boys  were  schoolmates  of  mine.  Think  I  could  have  en- 
joyed a  roam  in  the  sugar  camp,  but  aoout  the  time  you 
and  Hettie  and  Julia  and  Abbie  were  engaged  gathering 
sugar  water,  I  was  enjoying  what  Texans  call  a  "  North- 
erner," of  which  you  have  no  doubt  heard,  especially  if 
any  of  your  correspondents  have  had  the  pleasure  or  rather 
the  task  of  visiting  Texas  as  soldiers.  You  seemed  in- 
clined to  think  that  we,  in  our  Dixie  home  (sometimes 
called  the  Sunny  South),  do  not  suffer  with  cold.  I  will 
tell  you  candidly  I  suffered  more  during  one  of  those 
"  Northerners "  in  Texas  than  I  ever  did  with  cold  in 
Ohio.  We  are  not  well  prepared  in  this  climate  to  bear 
cold  as  in  the  North.  The  blood  does  not  seem  to  be  in 
the  right  temperature  to  withstand  it.  It  required  more 


52  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

clothing  last  New  Year's  day  to  keep  me  comfortable  here 
than  it  ever  did  at  home  in  the  coldest  time,  but  such 
weather  does  not  generally  last  more  than  a  few  days.  I 
will  now  ask  you  to  begin  here  and  read  back,  if  you 
please;  however,  there  is  no  compulsion  about  it.  [Re- 
mainder of  letter  written  between  lines.]  "We  are  enjoying 
fine  weather  here  now ;  plowing  has  been  going  on  for  some 
time.  As  we  came  along  the  Mississippi  river  from  its 
delta  to  New  Orleans,  day  before  yesterday,  I  was  pleased 
to  see  so  much  agriculture  in  progress.  We  could  see  as 
many  as  twenty  plows  on  one  plantation.  Crops  will  be 
growing  here  long  before  anything  is  planted  in  Ohio. 

You  wondered  if  we  all  had  to  stand  guard.  We  do. 
That  is  a  duty  all  soldiers  must  perform.  Disagreeable  as 
it  is,  it  is  not  so  bad  as  the  harmless  manual  which  you 
remembered  that  the  children  were  playing  at.  Then 
going  through  in  reality  what  the  children  playfully  term 
';  Bang,"  is  a  terrible  exercise  when  done  in  real  life,  and 
performed  in  earnest  it  is  not  soon  forgotten.  You  also 
expressed  a  wish  to  know  what  we  thought  of  copperheads. 
I  will  tell  you,  we  have  no  sympathy  for  a  real  copperhead. 
We  do  not  fear  the  rattlesnake  of  South  Carolina  or  hate 
it  half  so  much.  We  countenance  no  sympathy  for  our 
enemies. 

We  are  now  upon  the  eve  of  some  great  move,  but  what 
it  is,  we  as  common  soldiers  do  not  know.  A  soldier 
might  be  termed  an  automaton,  for  he  moves  at  the  will 


FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY.  53 

of  some  other  mind.  "When  it  says  to  him,  "  Come,"  he 
comes,  and  when  he  is  told  to  "go,"  he  goes,  just  as  if 
worked  by  wires.  This  is  the  only  way  an  army  can  be 
made  effective.  It  requires  discipline,  rigid  discipline  to 
make  troops  what  they  should  be.  Some  parts  of  the 
army  are  much  more  restricted  by  discipline  than  others. 
Eastern  officers  are  the  strictest  disciplinarians,  and  we 
Western  troops  sometimes  feel  their  restrictions  when  we 
come  in  contact  with  them.  A  few  days  ago  one  of  our 
lieutenants  was  arrested  for  playing  base  ball  with  private 
soldiers,  a  thing  not  allowed  among  eastern  troops,  and 
not  noticed  by  us. 

"Well,  now  here  is  Capt.  Chander  and  Sergt.  Black,  and 
they  have  almost  thrown  me  out  of  balance,  and  here  comes 
Sergt.  Humpheries,  I  suppose  to  assist  them.  I  will  have 
to  let  my  pen  think  and  write  both,  and  you  will  have  to 
make  allowances.  Their  topic  now  is  letter  writing.  The 
Captain  is  just  telling  of  a  splendid  letter  he  once  received 
from  a  lady,  and  from  his  description  of  it,  I  am  not 
much  flattered  with  this,  and  I  fear  if  I  do  not  leave  it 
soon  I  will  be  induced  to  destroy  it. 

The  boys  of  Co.  I  join  me  in  sending  you  our  sincere 
respects,  and  say  that  we  will  be  happy  to  hear  from  you 
again.  I  fear  you  will  have  some  trouble  in  following 
this  letter,  but  it  is  entirely  out  of  order  for  a  soldier  to 
make  apologies.  This  leaves  us  enjoying  a  reasonable 
degree  of  health,  and  hoping  it  will  find  you  and  Mollie 


54  FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY. 

and  Hettie  and  Abbie  and  Sue  and  Julia  and  the  children 
the  same. 

I  am  respectfully, 

LIEUT.  G.  W.  KLINE, 
Co.  I,  96th  0.  V.  I. 


CAMP  PAEOLE,         \ 
ANNAPOLIS,  MD.,  Aug.  20,  1863.  / 

DEAR  MADAM — I  have  been  so  reticent  of  late,  that  I 
fear  you  will  "conclude  that  your  "  Potomac  correspondent" 
is  not  a  paying  institution. 

The  whole  twenty-six  of  us  that  were  captured  at  Chan- 
cellorsville,  "  frenched  "  it  home  from  here  and  made  a 
stay  of  from  one  to  three  months.  Most  of  the  people 
extended  to  us  a  hearty  welcome,  and  we  were  especially 
entertained  at  numerous  parties,  dinners,  suppers,  and 
balls.  At  a  supper  given  us  the  table  was  decorated  with 
Union  and  rebel  flags.  At  our  request  the  rebel  flags  were 
removed,  and  some  one  took  down  the  Union  flags  with 
the  boast  that  they  should  not  be  put  up  again.  We  had 
four  times  our  number  to  contend  with,  but  we  determined 
to  put  them  up,  and  your  humble  correspondent  acquired 
some  notoriety  by  placing  the  flags  in  their  butternut  cakes, 
and  defending  them.  "  The  boys"  had  several  encounters 
with  the  butternuts  at  Eaton,  in  which  they  were  successful, 
with  but  one  exception.  In  that  case  the  butternuts 
brought  on  the  row,  stabbed  two  of  my  comrades,  one  of 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  55 

whom  died,  and  two  citizens,  one  of  whom  died.  We 
buried  them  both  in  the  cemetery  at  Eaton,  our  comrade 
with  the  honors  of  war — one  procession  and  one  sermon 
answered  for  both,  and  they  were  lowered  into  their  graves 
at  the  same  moment.  It  was  the  most  solemn  scene  I  have 
ever  witnessed.  The  citizen  was  a  deserter  from  the  rebel 
army  and  had  been  married  only  three  weeks.  We  also 
buried  our  captain,  who  fell  at  Gettysburg,  while  at  home. 
The  above  mentioned  murderer  was  bailed  out  by  his 
friends  for  $800,  although  imprisoned  on  three  indict- 
ments, two  of  them  for  murder  in  the  first  degree.  What 
made  it  still  more  aggravating  we  were  engaged  in  bury- 
ing our  captain  when  he  was  released.  New  writs  were 
issued  for  his  arrest,  but  he  escaped. 

Having  had  a  -fine  visit  at  home,  and  thinking  it  time 
for  an  exchange  we  appointed  the  10th  to  start  back.  All 
the  boys  reported  themselves  present,  and  among  the  cheers 
and  blessings -of  several  hundred,  who  had  assembled  at 
the  depot  to  see  us  off,  we  took  a  second  and  probably  a 
last  farewell  of  our  native  country.  Gen.  McLean,  of 
Cincinnati,  gave  us  transportation  to  Baltimore ;  there  the 
provost  marshal  gave  us  transport  to  this  place. 

D.  B.  MORROW. 


ST.  AUGUSTINE,  FLA.,  June  2,  1864. 
DEAR  FRIEND — We  have  been  furnished  horses,  and 
became  mounted  infantry,  and  as  we  are  the  only  mounted 


56  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

men  here  we  are  kept  very  busy,  too  much  so  for  corre- 
spondence or  anything  else  not  immediately  connected 
with  our  duties.  For  more  than  a  month  we  were  almost 
daily  in  the  saddle,  and  part  of  the  time  nightly.  We 
drew  our  horses  the  16th  of  April,  started  on  our  first  ex- 
pedition the  25th,  and  did  not  return  until  the  15th  of 
May.  We  went  to  Lake  Harney,  crossed  the  river  and 
gathered  cattle  along  the  south  shore  of  Harney,  on  the 
grand  prairie.  A  detachment  at  the  same  time  went  to 
Sand  Point  on  Indian  river,  and  another  to  Smyrna,  on  the 
coast ;  these  had  for  their  object  the  capture  of  cotton  and 
contraband  goods  of  war,  and  to  rid  the  country  of  any 
rebels  that  might  be  among  the  inhabitants.  This  ex- 
pedition captured  and  destroyed  400  bales  of  the  southern 
king,  a  large  quantity  of  turpentine  and-  naval  stores,  lib- 
erated fifty  slaves  of  all  ages,  sex,  and  colors,  and  drove 
to  Jacksonville  1 ,600  cattle ;  also  captured  about  a  dozen 
prisoners,  and  brought  in  twice  as  many  of  Captain  Bush's 
company.  These  were  refugees  from  rebel  ranks  and 
rule,  and  came  into  our  camps  by  the  wayside  for  protec- 
tion. They  were  employed  by  us  as  guides,  necessarily, 
as  the  country  is  very  sparsely  populated,  often  forty  to 
sixty  miles  between  settlements,  and  only  a  hunter's  trail 
leading  through  the  woods  and  swamps  to  them.  The 
country  is  remarkably  level;  timbered  by  a  scattered 
growth  of  pitch  pine;  little  lakelets  are  abundant.  The 
country  produces  a  fine  growth  of  wild  grass.  The  peo- 


FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY.  57 

pie's  wealth  is  iu  their  cattle,  one  man  often  owning  5,000, 
which  they  brand  and  turn  out  to  graze  and  seek  no  more 
until  they  are  wanted  for  the  shambles.  The  natives  live 
in  little  pole  cabins,  thatched  with  palmetto  leaves  or  cov- 
ered with  clapboards.  They  produce  cotton,  and  manu- 
facture their  own  apparel ;  make  their  own  sugar  and 
molasses ;  raise  sweet  potatoes,  which  they  substitute  for 
bread;  or  use  corn,  which  they  grind  on  little  hand-mills, 
and  altogether  live  in  a  very  independent,  primitive,  patri- 
archial  manner.  Along  the  river  in  the  little  towns  there 
are  some  very  aristocratic  establishments. 

After  our  first  expedition  Cos.  C  and  E  went  out 
to  establish  a  post  at  Enterprise.  We  went  to  Wilaka 
to  take  the  mail  to  a  Co.  of  the  17th  Conn,  stationed  there. 
On  our  arrival  we  found  that  Capt.  Dickerson  had  cross- 
ed the  river  that  morning  and  captured  Capt.  Hobby  and 
company  and  their  surgeon,  26  men  in  all.  Our  Capt. 
went  back  on  the  road  eight  miles  and  sent  five  men  to 
another  post  up  the  river  to  ascertain  if  they  were  captured, 
and  if  not  one  would  return  with  the  information  and 
would  reinforce;  instead  of  doing  this  he  sent  another  mes- 
senger with  orders  for  them  to  evacuate.  This  courier  lost 
his  way  and  returned  to  camp  without  delivering  his  mes- 
sage, so  the  post  of  15  men  and  a  part  of  our  company  was 
taken.  We  did  not  interfere,  and  knew  the  rebels'  intentions. 
The  captain  is  strongly  censured  by  all  acquainted  with  the 
circumstances.  He  reminds  me  of  Napoleon's  remark  con- 


58  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

cerning  Marshal  Ney,  "It  is  better  to  have  an  army  of 
deer  commanded  by  a  lion,  than  an  army  of  lions  com- 
manded by  a  deer." 

We  are  now  scouting  the  country  from  here  to  Valutia, 
60  miles  distant.  Our  brave  captain  is  in  the  hospital, 
where  the  boys  all  hope  he  will  stay.  A  schoolmate  and 
particular  friend  of  mine  whom  no  one  faults,  is  in  com- 
mand of  our  company.  I  hope  this  cruel  war  will  be 
ended  the  present  year,  if  not,  I  would  like  to  see  those  at 
home  liable  to  military  duty  "  lend  a  hand."  If  my  aid  is 
still  needed  to  preserve  the  nation,  I  will  throw  all  other 
considerations  aside  and  fight  on.  We  hear  glorious  news 
from  the  North,  but  are  slow  to  believe,  because  we  like  to 
spare  ourselves  the  pain  of  disappointed  hopes. 

I  am  slow  to  discard  so  interesting  a  correspondent  with 
principles  and  motives  so  pure  as  yours.  I  am  particularly 
fond  of  correspondence,  especially  with  intelligent  ladies. 
I  think  with  equal  opportunities  they  write  a  better  letter 
than  a  gentleman.  Before  being  mounted  I  had  much  time 
to  devote  to  the  best  literature  obtainable,  now  I  am  con- 
tent with  the  newspapers. 

Very  Truly, 

D.  B.  MOBROW. 


FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY.  59* 

CONVALESCENT  CAMP  NEAR  NASHVILLE,  \ 

Dec.  23,  1864.  / 

MY  VERY  DEAR,  LONG-LOST  COUSIN  : 

I  was  in  the  city  yesterday  overhauling  our  company's 
desk,  and  found  among  other  things  a  letter,  which  I  saw 
at  a  glance  belonged  to  Hi.  I  put  it  in  my  pocket,  not 
even  stopping  to  look  who  it  was  from,  and  so  when  I  came 
to  camp  I  read  it,  and  don't  you  think  I  was  glad  ?  Nearly 
as  much  so  as  if  it  had  been  addressed  to  me.  You  in- 
quired for  me  and  I  determined  you  should  know  if  only 
by  a  word  or  two.  What  good  letters  I  used  to  get  from 
you,  and  oh,  my  sad  and  lonely  heart  yearns  for  letters  to- 
night. I  have  had  none  for  some  time,  nor  will  I  get  any 
until  I  join  my  command.  I  will  tell  you  why  I  am  sad. 
You  know  by  the  papers,  no  doubt,  that  we  have  had  a 
fight  here.  On  the  16th  inst.  the  10th  Minnesota  and 
some  other  regiments  made  one  of  the  most  desperate 
charges  ever  made  by  mortals,  up  a  very  steep  hill  in  the  face 
of  the  enemy's  work  with  a  direct  fire  from  the  front,  and 
an  enfilading  fire  pouring  into  their  ranks  all  the  time.  In 
that  dreadful  charge  my  much  loved  captain  fell,  mortally 
wounded,  our  first  lieutenant  badly  wounded,  my  best 
brother-in-law,  Hiram,  the  first  sergeant  of  our  companyr 
had  his  arm  all  shattered  to  pieces,  and  now  it  is  off,  poor 
Hi.  Quite  a  number  of  our  best  men  were  wounded,  and 
four  privates  in  our  company  killed  on  the  field.  The 
captain  lived  till  next  day,  and  then,  poor  man,  his  dis- 


60  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 

charge  came.  He  was  aware  of  the  fact  and  ready ;  told 
the  boys  it  was  an  honorable  death  to  die.  How  we  all 
loved  that  man,  not  an  enemy  in  the  company  or  regiment, 
or  in  the  world,  except  in  the  Southern  Confederacy.  Our 
Lieut.  Col.  commanding,  and  major,  were  also  wounded. 
I  fear  the  major  will  die.  Capt*  White  (my  captain)  was 
the  pet  of  the  regiment,  and  next  to  him  I  love  the  major. 
I  have  been  for  the  last  two  or  three  days  straightening  up 
the  captain's  aifairs,  sending  his  clothing  and  sword  to  his 
friends.  I  just  got  through  to-night;  came  home  after  8 
o'clock  to  my  cold,  lonely,  dreary  tent;  got  my  supper  and 
then  sat  down  to  write.  May  start  to-morrow  to  join  my 
company.  I  feel  unusually  lonesome  to-night.  Don't  feel 
like  going  back  to  the  company  now,  but  I  must.  Your 
letter  stirred  up  within  me  a  remembrance  of  some  of  the 
happy  days  of  other  years,  when  I,  your  married  cousin, 
played  the  beau,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  a  would-be  fa- 
vorite of  yours — 1  have  forgotten  his  name. 
Yours  as  of  old, 

J.  A.  CANFIELD. 
Co.  F.  10th  Minn.  Infnt. 


CAMP  NEAR  MOBILE,  ALA.,  1 
June  9,  1865.  J 

KIND  FRIEND— Before  this  reaches  you  I  hope  you 
will  have  confirmed  information  of  .the  96th  Ohio 
being  on  the  way  home.  It  is  possible,  but  hardly 


FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY.  61 

probable,  if  I  am  to  judge  from  the  efforts  our  superiors 
are  making  to  reach  that  end.  It  appears  that  our  general 
commanding  the  corps,  Gen.  Granger,  thinks  the  muster- 
out  of  any  of  his  corps  at  this  time  would  operate  to  the 
prejudice  of  the  service.  It  is  believed  by  some  that  the 
muster-out  of  his  troops  now  would  have  a  great  tendency 
to  change  the  form  and  color  of  the  insignia  of  rank  on  his 
shoulder  straps  from  a  silver  star  to  a  gold  leaf,  as  he  is 
major  in  the  regular  army,  and  this  doubtless  is  the  last 
command  he  will  have  during  the  present  war  as  large  as 
a  corps.  I  do  not  wish  to  convey  the  idea  that  Gen. 
Granger  is  not  a  good  commander,  we  all  think  him  an 
able  and  good  officer.  Yet,  I  believe  under  the  present 
circumstances  I  would  think  more  of  him  if  he  would  order 
us  home  now.  He  has  not  all  the  power  necessary  and  I 
will  not  complain.  I  have  never  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  a 
leave  of  absence,  and  as  the  time  approaches  and  the  better 
the  prospect,  the  more  anxious  I  become. 

Preparations  are  being  made  to  transfer  the  recruits  in  the 
regiment  to  some  other,  which  might  be  considered  a  sign 
of  something.  We  judge  altogether  by  signs.  We  find 
out  nothing  of  the  future  in  a  military  life.  The  past  and 
present  tense  is  all  we  know  as  soldiers.  The  weather  is 
getting  so  warm  here  as  to  be  almost  oppressive  to  Yankees. 

LT.  G.  W.  KLINE. 


62  FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY. 

KENDALLVILLE,  IND.,  ) 
.  Sept.  18,  1863.  j 

I  received  to-day  a  letter  from  Charlie,  saying  that  the 
company  was  as  well  as  could  be  expected  and  that  the 
boys  say  if  their  captain  was  back  with  them  they  would 
not  be  quite  so  lonesome  as  they  are  now.  The  position  I 
occupy  with  my  boys  of  Co.  E.  is  one  that  makes  my  heart 
glad,  and  I  never  look  back  to  the  hour  when  I  parted 
with  them  but  it  makes  my  heart  ache.  You  tell  me 
Charlie  writes  you  that  he  misses  his  captain.  Who  could 
doubt  it?  We  have  in  the  year  past  walked  2,000  miles 
together,  slept  together,  ate  together,  spent  hours  together 
on  the  advance  picket  line,  hours  together  foraging,  for 
wherever  I  went  Charlie  went  with  me.  When  I  sat  at 
my  table  writing  to  my  friends  at  home,  he  sat  at  the  other 
side  writing  to  his  wife.  Do  you  think  it  strange  that  he 
writes  to  me,  "Captain,  I  am  lost  without  you?"  When 
I  was  ordered  to  go  on  any  dangerous  mission,  Charlie 
never  had  to  be  asked  to  go  with  me,  he  was  always  ready, 
and  when  we  had  but  one  cracker  between  us,  we  divided 
it  and  ate  it  with  a  smile — a  thing  we  have  done 
many  a  time.  On  our  long,  hard,  and  weary  marches  his 
good  health  and  strong  arm  have  made  many  a  hard  bed 
soft  for  me. 

W.  M.  BARNY, 
Capt.  Co.  E.  100th  Ind.  V.  I. 


FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY.  63 

CHARLES  C.  PIERCE. 
Co.  E.  100th  IND.  Y.  I. 

TO    HIS    WIFE,  R.  T.  W.  PIERCE. 

HOLLY  SPRINGS,  Miss.,  Jan.  3,  1863. 

We  are  still  at  this  place,  which  before  this  unholy  war 
was  of  considerable  importance  and  of  much  beauty,  con- 
taining 6,000  inhabitants  and  surrounded  by  one  of  the 
best  and  loveliest  farming  districts  in  the  South.  There  is 
hardly  a  vestige  remaining  of  what  it  once  was.  The  best 
part  of  the  town  is  now  in  ashes.  The  depot  and  all  the 
public  buildings  were  burned  last  Saturday  by  a  band  of 
guerillas,  and  about  1,200  of  our  troops  paroled.  I  hear 
that  General  Grant  court-martialed  the  officers  and  dis- 
missed them  from  the  service,  as  it  seems  they  allowed 
themselves  to  be  surprised.  B.,  of  the  12th  Ind.,  fell  be- 
hind his  regiment,  was  picked  up  and  paroled,  and  is  now 
at  home  preaching.  He  is  a  regular  "play  off." 

How  did  I  spend  New  Year's?  Foraging  in  company 
with  four  men.  We  went  six  miles  and  "relieved"  an  old 
rebel  of  corn,  hogs,  sweet  potatoes,  etc. — started  at  6 
o'clock  and  got  back  at  1,  then  attended  dress  parade. 


CAMP  IN  HICKORY  VALLEY,  TENN.,  \ 
Jan.  llth,  1863.      / 

I  am  still  knocking  about  in  this  "old  shell,"  hearty  and 
in  good  spirits.     Fact  is,  I  don't  get  any  other  way,  and 


64  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

shall  try  not  to  as  long  as  it  can  do  no  good,  for  I  believe 
some  of  our  best  boys  have  filled  untimely  graves  from 
failing  to  act  rationally  in  this  matter;  good,  brave  boys 
as  ever  shouldered  a  musket.  Inaction  gives  a  chance  for 
loneliness  and  then  homesickness,  and  oftentimes  letters 
from  home  are  of  such  a  tone  as  to  increase  it,  and  then 
they  are  "done  for."  He  should  avoid  idleness  when  his 
duties  are  done  (which  is  the  first  thing  a  soldier  must 
think  of),  then  go  in  for  rational  enjoyment  and  exercise. 
Better  play  ball  and  pitch  horse  shoes  than  sit  down  alone 
to  think  about  home  and  friends  until  his  heart  is  ready  to 
break. 

You  wished  me  to  keep  a  diary,  now  let's  see  how  it 
would  work: 

Jan.  1st.  Foraging  for  corn  and  pork  from  Holly  Springs 
west.  2d.  Lying  in  camp  with  only  the  usual  routine  of 
duty,  various  rumors  from  abroad  and  quite  favorable, 
trains  in  with  supplies.  3d.  Battalion  drill.  4th.  Called 
out  for  picket,  we  supposed,  about  11  o'clock,  but  found 
it  was  for  forage.  40  of  Co.  E,  40  of  Co.  K,  all  of  Co.  F 
6th  Iowa,  40  Co.  E  12th  Ind.,  went  about  six  miles  and 
loaded  83  teams  with  corn,  and  hardly  made  a  hole  in  the 
pile  one  man  had  on  a  farm  of  1,200  acres.  Got  back  at 
dark.  5th.  Logan's  division  passed  here;  Lieut.  Collier 
came  back  to  camp  not  well,  but  improving  slowly;  have 
marching  orders  for  six  o'clock  in  the  morning.  6th. 
Marched  thirteen  miles  to  a  little  town  called  Salem.  7th. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  65 

Moved  at  7:30.  Marched  through  the  finest  country  I 
have  seen  in  Dixie;  camped  near  noon  at  Spring  Hill. 
Capt.  Barney  burnt  off  the  grass  where  he  wanted  his  tent, 
and  the  fire  got  away,  which  made  lots  of  fun.  After  din- 
ner some  one  went  out  to  the  grove  and  shot  a  hog,  and  it 
was  dressed  and  brought  in  without  the  "  butcher  "  being 
caught.  Afterwards  the  same  man  was  sent  with  a  squad 
to  arrest  a  soldier  for  shooting  hogs,  with  orders  to  deliver 
him  to  McDowell ;  he  told  the  men  he  could  arrest  that 
man  and  they  could  go  back.  Then  he  concluded  he 
didn't  enlist  to  guard  rebel  property,  and  went  back  to 
camp  himself.  I  don't  know  whether  the  soldier  went  to 
McDowell  or  not,  guess  not.  8th.  Expected  to  stay  here 
several  days,  and  fixed  our  camp  in  good  style,  but  at 
12:30  at  night  got  marching  orders  for  7:30  in  the  morn- 
ing. 9th.  Moved  before  it  was  fairly  light.  Division 
parts.  Denver  takes  one  arm  and  goes  to  La  Grange,  and 
McDowell  the  other  to  Grand  Junction,  where  we  met  the 
Q.  M.  and  sutler,  and  got  our  tents;  they  had  left  us  at 
College  Hill.  At  night  the  rain  was  the  hardest  I  ever 
experienced.  10th.  Forenoon  spent  in  fixing  up  camp. 
At  noon  got  orders  that  three  companies  must  report  for 
guard  duty  for  five  days.  Cos.  E,  H,  and  K  are  de- 
tailed for  the  same,  and  fall  in  line  at  double-quick  and 
are  off  for  Hickory  Valley,  fully  eight  miles  distant.  I  am 
left  with  Mose  Whitcomb,  Dan  Drake,  and  John  Miller  to 
draw  the  rations  for  five  days  and  guard  the  wagons.  We 
6 


66  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

get  to  camp  about  9,  very  tired,  spread  our  tents  and  go  to 
sleep,  llth.  Sunday,  inspection  of  arms  and  fixing  camps. 
Got  eleven  letters  from  my  wife  to-day,  bless  her  I  What 
a  Sunday  I  will  have  reading  about  my  babies,  and  the 
strong,  earnest  words  of  courage  and  patriotism ;  no  dis- 
couraging from  her!  12th.  Went  foraging;  got  hams, 
pickles,  and  vinegar.  Harry  Nelson  went  along,  but  the 
tramp  was  too  much  for  him. 

Now  here  are  twelve  days'  record,  and  you  see  they  are 
filled  up  with  hard  work,  expectations,  and  disappoint 
ments,  but  here  is  another  call  and  I  must  close. 


HICKORY  VALLEY,  TENN.,  Feb.  3d,  1863. 

I  have  been  doing  more  than  my  share  of  duty  lately  to 
favor  some  that  are  not  so  strong  as  myself.  There  are  a 
good  many  sick,  with  bad  colds  mostly. 

Suppose  I  tell  you  how  our  tent  is  occupied :  The  Capt. 
is  out,  and  Lieut.  Jones  and  Geo.  Himes  (one  of  Palm- 
eter's  printers)  are  playing  checkers.  Nelson  is  on  the 
bed  asleep,  but  the  Capt.  has  just  come  in  and  piled  every- 
thing movable  upon  him,  especially  the  wood,  and  now  he 
is  tickling  his  nose  with  a  feather  to  wake  him  up,  and 
then  it  will  be  lively  around  here. 

I  was  detailed  Sunday  night  as  sergeant  of  the  out-post, 
two  miles  distant.  I  reported  for  orders  and  was  politely 
informed  that  I  knew  my  duty  and  to  use  my  best  judg- 
ment in  case  of  an  attack.  So  off  I  posted  with  three  men; 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  67 

found  our  post  all  right.  There  was  a  very  pretty,  faint 
moonlight.  We  made  ourselves  as  comfortable  as  possible, 
which  was  nothing  to  brag  of,  lying  out  the  1st  of  Jan- 
uary without  fire.  We  were  just  fairly  quiet,  when,  whiz! 
a  ball  flew  past  us,  and  though  there  was  no  enemy  in 
sight  we  knew  there  was  one  not  far  off,  but  they  had 
warned  us,  perhaps  unintentionally,  and  all  we  could  do 
was  to  watch  developments.  Two  of  the  boys  after  a 
while  fell  asleep.  About  11  o'clock  I  thought  I  heard 
something  like  a  fence  fall,  and  warned  the  men;  just  then 
the  moon  came  from  behind  a  cloud  and  I  saw  thirty  rods 
off  two  rebs  step  out  from  a  fence,  fall  into  line,  and 
shoulder  arms,  then  two  more,  and  so  on  until  fifty  had 
joined  them.  Then  I  thought  it  time  for  us  to  retreat, 
and  as  there  was  nothing  for  us  to  do  but  retreat,  we  had 
to  show  our  skill  in  that  direction.  We  were  protected  by 
the  R.  R.  and  a  cross  fence.  They  were  very  quiet,  evi- 
dently intending  to  "gobble"  us,  and  then  to  camp. 
When  they  got  where  we  "  were"  we  were  somewhere  else; 
two  of  us  were  but  fifty  rods  off  watching  them  while  the 
others  went  to  camp  to  give  warning.  A  spy  had  been  in 
camp,  but  they  didn't  catch  "  live  Yanks"  that  time. 


COLLIERSVILLE,  TENN.,  Apr.  8,  1863. 

Well,  we  had  the  unexpected  pleasure  of  a  visit  from 
the  Hon.  Wm.  Mitchell  this  morning.  He  was  received 
with  three  rousing  cheers.  He  had  many  words  of  en- 


68  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

couragement,  and  a  shake  of  the  hand  for  everyone,  then 
he  mounted  a  box  and  made  a  speech,  which,  though  it 
was  nothing  new,  was  highly  appreciated,  for  I  tell  you  it 
was  like  a  cool  breeze  in  a  hot  day  to  see  a  familiar  face 
just  from  home.  He  was  escorting  three  ladies  from 
Goshen,  Ind.,  to  Memphis,  for  nurses. 

I  don't  want  to  discourage  you,  but  this  war  will  not 
end  this  summer,  and  in  the  course  of  the  next  eight 
months  there  will  be  more  fighting  done,  and  with  more 
determination  on  both  sides  than  ever  before.  The  ex- 
pected sympathy  of  northern  rebels  for  the  confederacy  is 
so  slight,  and  promises  so  little  help  that  it  does  not  en- 
courage the  South.  Fact  is  they  dare  not  league  them- 
selves with  the  South,  and  are  too  low  and  mean  to  be 
Union  men,  and  too  big  cowards  to  openly  join  the  rebels, 
so  they  busy  themselves  stabbing  our  soldiers  in  the  back 
while  we  are  fighting  for  our  country.  They  meet  disap- 
pointment from  foreign  powers  where  they  expected  recog- 
nition. True,  they  sell  them  arms,  but  at  ruinous  prices, 
and  buy  southern  cotton  for  a  song. 

We  generally  get  out  in  line  every  two  or  three  nights — 
for  practice,  I  guess.  Companies  D  and  K  were  out  last 
night  some  three  miles  above  here  expecting  rebels  to  cross 
the  road,  but  they  failed  to  connect. 

You  would  be  amused  at  the  different  dispositions  mani- 
fested here  in  regard  to  "  fixing  up  camp."  We  are  splen- 
didly accommodated  now. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  69 

CAMP  SHERMAN,  Miss.,  Aug.  25,  1863. 

I  am  enjoying  the  best  of  health,  while  death  stares  us 
all  in  the  face.  There  are  from  two  to  five  buried  every 
day  in  our  division  burying  ground.  Our  own  little  band 
lost  two  good  boys  the  other  day;  Daniel  Parker  of  heart 
disease.  I  was  talking  with  him  the  minute  of  his  death. 
The  other  was  a  fine  young  fellow  named  John  Ingle,  who 
died  of  congestive  fever.  A  number  of  others  are  quite 
sick.  You  are  worrying  about  the  sickness  here.  Well, 
our  army  has  been  very  much  exposed.  We  left  a  very 
healthy  place  in  Tennessee  and  came  here  in  the  hot,  sick- 
ly season,  an$  it  proves  to  be  one  of  the  most  unhealthy 
of  places,  with  water  that  is  poison  to  some,  though  it 
looks  good.  Besides  this  we  have  been  doing  some  very 
hard  marching,  and  lying  out  in  all  kinds  of  weather,  with 
no  extra  clothing,  many  without  even  a  coat,  and  very 
poor  fare  part  of  the  time.  It  is  no  wonder  some  die,  but 
I  find  the  most  of  these  spent  the  winter  at  home,  and 
others  have  not  the  requisite  amount  of  pluck  to  say:  "I 
will  stand  up  to  the  rack."  This  is  the  kind  of  man  that 
makes  the  useful  soldiers-one  who  says :  "  I  am  enlisted 
for  the  war  and  I  mean  to  do  all  the  duty  that  falls  to  my 
lot,  and  a  little  more  if  I  can." 

I  think  for  beautiful  vales,  shady  groves,  and  pleasant 
slopes  some  parts  of  Mississippi  excels  all  other  places  I 
have  been. 


70  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

COLLIERSVILLE,  TENN.,  Apr.  18,  1863. 

The  morning  of  the  13th  inst.  I  was  detailed  in  charge 
of  twenty-four  men  of  Co.  E,  and  ordered  to  report  at 
Memphis.  Our  force  comprised  100  men;  twenty-four 
from  Co.  H,  in  charge  of  Lieut.  Shanks;  twenty-four 
from  Co.  K,  under  Lieut.  Wise,  and  twenty-four  from  the 
90th  111.,  in  charge  of  Capt.  Holdman,  and  all  under  com- 
mand of  Capt.  Gillespie,  of  Co.  B,  100th  Ind.  We  went 
down  on  the  cars — were  there  three  days.  We  got  fifteen 
six-mule  teams,  with  harness  and  wagons  complete,  and 
two  ambulances  loaded  with  sutler  stores.  We  started  at 
10  A.M.  and  got  here  just  at  dusk — thirty  miles.  To-day 
we  moved  camp  to  better  ground  and  I  am  very  tired.  The 
country  between  here  and  Memphis  must  have  been  a 
paradise  before  the  war.  It  is  mostly  level  and  improved 
with  large  fields,  which  gives  it  the  appearance  of  a  prairie 
country.  The  beautiful  groves  of  timber  are  cleared  of 
underbrush  and  logs,  which  makes  it  look  nice  and  clean. 
The  residences  are  mansions  or  castles.  They  remind  me 
of  French  novels  I  have  read. 

One  house  in  particular  must  have  cost  $100,000,  and 
the  furniture  corresponds.  The  plantation  has  6,000  acres 
improved.  The  owner's  name  is  Judge  White,  and  there 
are  others  just  as  fine,  all  the  earnings  of  slavery.  One 
splendid  residence  close  to  the  road  was  used  as  a  pest- 
house.  Of  course  it  will  have  to  be  burned. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  71 

MARIETTA,  GA.,  Aug.  10,  1864. 

Cars  now  run  to  the  front.  Our  duties  are  very  confin- 
ing and  keep  us  busy,  but  not  hard  to  perform,  as  we  have 
no  rations  to  handle,  only  for  those  who  are  stationed  here. 
Hard  fighting  in  front  every  day.  It  is  rumored  that 
Hill  and  Longstreet  have  reinforced  Johnson.  This  can- 
not be  true,  for  how  could  they  leave  Richmond  with 
Grant  thundering  at  the  gates  of  that  doomed  city  ?  We 
are  progressing  slowly,  but  surely.  Sherman  seems  to 
have  full  confidence  that  his  army  will  conquer,  but  it  is 
no  child's  play,  I  can  tell  you.  We  have  lost  a  great 
many  good  men  and  a  great  many  more  will  have  to  fall. 

We  now  belong  to  the  2d  brigade,  4th  division,  1 5th  A.  C. 
Col.  Wolcott,  of  the  46th  Ohio,  is  our  brigadier  commander. 
We  will  join  him  in  a  day  or  two,  and  may  have  to  pay 
for  our  rest  in  hard  work.  All  I  ask  for  is  good  health. 
Privations  and  fatigue  I  expect,  and  if  my  country  de- 
mands it,  my  life  or  my  limbs,  it  can  have  them,  but  for 
the  sake  of  my  family  I  hope  not. 

Sherman  is  planting  some  heavy  siege  guns,  so  you  see 
Atlanta  has  not  yet  surrendered.  Some  think  the  hard 
fighting  is  done.  I  shall  believe  it  when  the  last  armed 
rebel  is  dead,  or  lays  down  his  arms.  Our  boys  all  seem 
anxious  for  another  peep  at  the  Johnnies.  And  so  you 
wouldn't  shake  hands  with  George  S. — your  old  class 
leader,  too — or  with  "Blarney"  and  others?  How  could 
they  expect  you  to  with  your  husband  and  brothers  fight- 


72  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

ing  to  preserve  for  them  a  country  and  they  stabbing  us 
in  the  back?  It  raised  a  shout  in  our  tent,  for  do  you 
know  the  boys  watch  for  your  letters,  though  they  have 
never  seen  you. 

A  Tennessee  regiment  is  quartered  in  front  of  us  this 
morning  (the  1 2th  inst.)  They  have  served  their  country 
three  years  and  are  going  home,  taking  their  arms  to  fight 
bushwhackers  with. 


MARIETTA,  GA.,  July  15,  '64. 

We  are  camped  one-half  mile  west  of  town.  Col. 
Heatt  has  his  head-quarters  in  the  mansion  of  Ex-Gov. 
Brown.  We  are  camped  in  his  grounds,  which  comprises 
twenty  acres  in  the  city  corporation.  He  seems  to  have 
been  a  southern  nabob.  There  is  an  abundance  of  flowers 
and  shade  and  the  nicest  grape  arbor  I  ever  saw,  and  oh ! 
the  figs ;  just  come  and  hold  your  apron  while  I  shake  'em 
down. 

I  now  hear  the  boom  of  artillery  on  our  left.  Doubtless 
our  forces  in  that  quarter  have  attacked  Mr.  Reb  in  his 
stronghold  at  some  mountain  to  the  east  and.  south  of  At- 
lanta. Oar  approach  is  from  the  north-west.  They  say 
the  ball  has  actually  opened,  our  forces  having  all  crossed 
the  river  in  spite  of  the  rebels'  boast  of  their  strong  posi- 
tion. We  have  a  fellow  that  will  find  some  way  to  make 
it  too  hot  a  climate  for  them,  if  by  no  other  way  than 
coming  round  and  hitting  them  on  the  end,  that  is,  flank- 
ing them. 


FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY.  73 

Who  ever  heard  of  an  army  being  followed  right  up 
with  a  railroad,  so  their  provisions  and  munitions  were 
at  hand.  The  rebs  burned  the  bridge  at  the  river,  which 
was  useless,  as  "  Sherman  has  one  on  the  train  ready  to  put 
across,"  so  the  Jehnnies  say.  A  story  goes  that  a  rebel  of- 
ficer with  a  squad  of  men  went  to  destroy  the  railroad. 
As  they  were  about  to  blow  out  a  "fill"  a  soldier  pro- 
tested on  the  ground  that  Sherman  would  have  one  ready 
made  on  the  cars,  and  all  they  could  do  wouldn't  stop  him 
a  moment.  So  the  "  fill "  was  not  disturbed. 

Col.  Heatt,  of  the  100th  Ind.,  has  command  of  the 
fortifications  here,  and  is  putting  them  in  good  repairs,  so 
if  Morgan  or  Forrest  should  call  on  us  we  can  give  them 
good  accommodations.  We  like  to  treat  our  callers  with 
the  best  the  nature  of  their  visit  demands ;  to  our  enemies, 
a  liberal  supply  of  hot  lead. 


IN  THE  FIELD  BEFORE  ATLANTA,  "I 
August  20th,  1864.      / 

I  should  have  replied  to  your  letter  of  the  day  before 
while  in  the  ditches  yesterday,  but  being  up  all  night,  and 
under  heavy  fire  all  day  poorly  fits  one  for  writing.  We 
go  on  skirmish  by  regiment.  We  skirmish  two  days — 
half  the  regiment  at  a  time,  as  the  100th  Ind.  is  twice  as 
large  as  the  6th  Iowa  or  103d  111.  Our  half  on  duty  last 
night  without  losing  a  man.  The  103d  111.  lost  two  the 
day  before,  and  the  other  half  of  our  regiment  lost  one 


74  FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY. 

this  morning  from  Capt.  Fast's  company.  His  name  was 
David  Soles,  married  a  short  time  before  joining  the  army. 
We  are  expecting  marching  orders,  as  "Old  Billy"  is 
changing  the  base  of  the  army,  but  the  opinion  is  current 
here  that  the  15th  corps  will  only  swing  around  ;  reported 
that  the  corps  to  our  left  are  moving  to  the  right,  the  4th 
to  the  extreme  left,  20th  next,  17th  and  16th,  etc.,  and 
that  we  are  going  to  occupy  the  left  and  thus  give  the 
enemy  the  country  made  desolate  by  our  armies,  and 
throw  a  heavy  force  on  the  right  and  cut  oif  their  supplies. 
Gen.  Sherman  and  staff  rode  along  our  lines  yesterday. 
He  looks  care-worn  and  as  if  he  had  seen  hard  service. 
His  staff  consisted  of  one  corporal  riding  about  two  rods 
in  his  rear,  and  looking  as  if  he  had  seen  hard  work,  too. 


FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY.  75 

STEPHEN  M.  AIKEN. 
Co.  K.  10th  IND.  V.  I. 

TO  HIS  WIFE. 

MILL  SPRING,  KY.  Jan.  27,  1862. 1 
ZOLLICOFFER'S  ENTRENCHMENTS,  NOW  OURS.  / 

We  have  met  them  and  they  are  ours.  Last  Saturday 
night  Cos.  K  and  Q  were  ordered  out  on  picket,  our 
company  in  advance  were  thrown  out  two  miles  from  camp. 
Nothing  happened  till  daybreak,  when  Wolford's  cavalry, 
the  advanced  pickets,  commenced  firing.  We  instantly 
rallied  together,  Wolford's  men  fell  back  to  us  saying  there 
were  only  200  of  them  coming,  thought  we  could  whip 
them  easily.  The  cavalry  went  back  to  camp  for  the  regi- 
ment, we  soon  found  it  was  too  hot  for  us.  James  E. 
Doster  was  wounded  in  the  foot.  I  did  not  know  that  the 
company  had  fallen  back,  so  with  three  or  four  others  kept 
on  firing  till  we  were  almost  surrounded,  and  if  I  ever  did 
run  it  was  then.  George  Shortel  pulled  off  his  boots  to- 
run,  the  bullets  whistled  thick  but  did  not  hit  us.  We  got 
back  to  where  Co.  G  was  stationed,  and  were  instantly 
formed  in  line  of  battle.  Our  regiment  came  up  and  we 
all  pitched  into  the  enemy.  We  fought  more  than  an  hour, 
then  our  general  ordered  us  to  fall  back,  as  they  had  almost 
surrounded  us.  We  were  fighting  some  8,000  or  10,000 
men.  As  we  fell  back  the  4th  Ky.  came  up,  and  we  again 


76  FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY. 

formed  in  line  of  battle,  fought  an  hour  longer  and  were 
reinforced  by  the  9th  Ohio  and  2d  Minn.  The  battle 
was  then  at  its  greatest  fury.  Gen.  Zollicoffer  rode  up 
to  Col.  Fry  of  the  4th  Ky.,  and  said:  "Colonel,  you  are 
mine  and  your  men  are  mine,"  and  instantly  fired  at  him, 
but  missed.  Col.  Fry  raised  his  revolver,  taking  deliber- 
ate aim  shot  his  antagonist  through  the  heart,  and  this  was 
the  end  of  the  bold  rebel  Zollicoffer.  The  rebels  fell  back 
at  the  fall  of  their  general,  fighting  desperately.  We  cut 
the  Mississippi  and  Alabama  regiments  to  pieces.  In  the  heat 
of  battle  we  run  out  of  cartridges  and  had  to  go  after  some, 
this  gave  the  enemy  an  advantage,  as  they  supposed,  but  it 
was  a  gain  to  us,  as  it  brought  them  out  of  the  woods 
where  we  could  see  them,  and  they  began  falling  back  at 
every  discharge  of  our  rifles.  Col.  Fry  says  it  was  a  harder 
fought  battle  than  Buena  Vista,  for  we  fought  greater  odds 
and  contended  the  ground  inch  by  inch.  Co.  K  of  the 
lOrh  Ind.  had  only  seven  wounded,  one  fatally.  Lieut. 
McAdams  of  Co.  C.  was  shot  dead  on  the  field.  The  4th 
Ky.  lost  a  great  many  men,  as  did  the  9th  O.,  and  2d 
Minn.  The  rebel  killed  and  wounded  is  somewhere  about 
600.  We  took  200  prisoners  and  2,000  horses,  13  cannon, 
and  several  thousand  small  arms,  tents,  sabers,  and  the 
strongest  kind  of  fortifications.  We  followed  them  as 
they  retreated.  They  went  into  their  fortifications  and  as 
it  was  getting  dark  we  halted  till  morning,  sleeping  on  our 
arms.  Early  the  next  morning  some  of  us  went  up  on  a 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  77 

hill,  we  could  see  all  bustle  and  confusion  in  the  rebel 
camp,  and  a  steamboat  plying  across  the  river  loaded  with 
men.  We  knew  they  were  retreating.  Our  gunners  got 
their  cannon  to  work  and  commenced  shelling  them.  The 
steamer  was  instantly  fired  by  a  bomb  bursting  in  it.  We 
could  see  the  nlen  running  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
were  ordered  forward  and  started  on  the  double-quick  for 
the  fort,  but  were  too  late  to  take  anything  but  a  few 
prisoners.  They  left  everything,  even  to  their  little  trin- 
kets. We  reached  the  river  but  could  go  no  further  as 
the  steamboat  was  burned  and  no  other  way  of  crossing. 
The  secesh  were  fortified  on  both  sides  of  the  river  and 
they  left  everything  on  the  other  side,  guns,  bunks,  and 
their  victuals  on  the  fires  cooking.  They  more  than  left  in 
a  hurry.  We  have  taken  about  $15,000  worth  of  prop- 
erty. 


Feb.  28,  1862. 1 
SAILING  DOWN  THE  OHIO  NEAR  CANTON,  IND.  J 

Yesterday  we  passed  through  Louisville  from  Brads- 
town,  camped  two  miles  outside  the  city,  and  yesterday  we 
passed  through  Louisville  and  were  presented  with  a  splen- 
did flag  at  the  Gait  House,  with  the  words  "Mill  Spring," 
engraved  on  it  in  letters  of  gold.  The  other  three  regi- 
ments were  also  presented  with  a  splendid  flag  similar  to 
ours — the  9th  Ohio,  2d  Minn.,  and  4th  Ky.  They  were 
the  regiments  that  came  to  our  assistance  at  Mill  Spring. 


78  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 

The  people  all  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome  as  we  passed 
through,  and  many  a  welcome  given  the  gallant  10th  and  a 
hearty  "God  speed  you,"  by  the  fair  ladies  of  Louisville. 
At  Bradstown  the  ladies  met  us  on  the  street  and  tried  to 
persuade  the  general  to  let  us  remain  a  day  or  two  in  the 
•city,  but  it  was  a  forced  march  and  we  could  not  stop  long. 
They  treated  us  to  the  eatables  and  drinkables,  and  had 
victuals  put  up  in  papers  for  us  to  eat  on  the  march.  We 
went  on  board  the  steamer  at  the  foot  of  8th  street  at  10 
o'clock  yesterday,  did  not  leave  till  dark. 

Our  four  months  are  now  up,  and  we  have  not  been  paid 
anything.  They  say  we  will  draw  new  uniforms,  new 
tents,  cooking  utensils,  and  pay,  when  we  arrive  at  our 
destination.  We  do  not  know  where  we  are  going.  We 
are  expecting  a  fight  when  we  get  down  the  river,  we  will 
do  or  die. 

"  Sons  of  America,  list  ye  to  the  cry, 
The  loud  fearful  warnings  that  ring  to  the  sky, 
Shall  foul  blackened  falsehood  unanswered  be  borne, 
Americans  be  branded  with  insult  and  scorn  ? 
Strike,  strike,  for  the  Union,  the  freedom  we  crave; 
Bury  secession  in  a  deeply  dug  grave, 
We'll  fight  as  our  fathers,  on  land  and  on  sea, 
And  die  as  they  died,  for  our  country  so  free." 

This  is  my  sentiment  as  we  float  down  the  river.  Blow 
after  blow  will  make  the  Union  cause  triumphant,  and  we 
will  return  home  covered  with  its  laurels. 


FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY.  79 

BATTLE-FIELD  PITTSBUEG  LANDING,  TENN.,  1 

Mar.  8,  1862.  / 

Since  I  last  wrote  events  have  transpired  that  will  as- 
tonish the  world.  Another  battle  has  been  fought,  one  of 
the  hardest  ever  fought  on  this  continent.  Horses  and  men, 
strew  the  ground  for  miles.  There  is  no  less  than  10,000 
killed  and  wounded  on  our  side.  We  have  taken  a  great 
many  prisoners  and  have  had  a  great  many  taken  from  us. 
They  have  taken  Gen.  Prentiss  prisoner,  one  of  our  best  gen- 
erals. I  went  over  the  battle-field  yesterday  and  it  was  a 
sight  that  would  make  a  man's  blood  run  cold  if  he  was  not 
used  to  it.  The  battle-field  covers  several  miles  of  ground, 
and  our  men  and  the  rebels  lay  in  heaps  over  every  part  of 
it.  I  counted  30  horses  and  as  many  men  slain  in  one  heap, 
a  cleared  place.  We  were  in  the  reserve  division  and  did 
not  come  up  till  it  was  too  late  to  engage  in  it.  We  did 
some  hard  marching  to  get  there,  marching  in  mud  knee 
deep  night  and  day  for  four  days,  and  was  then  just  a  little 
too  late.  Two  rebel  generals  were  killed,  Gen.  Bragg  and 
S.  A.  Johnson — so  the  rebel  prisoners  say.  The  first  day 
was  Sunday.  The  enemy  attacked  Grant's  forces  that  were 
encamped,  early  Sunday  morning  coming  into  camp  by 
surprise ;  the  boys  were  in  their  bunks  asleep.  In  this  way 
they  managed  to  take  one  or  two  Iowa  regiments  prisoners. 
The  battle  Sunday  rather  went  against  us,  and  if  Buel  and 
his  forces  had  not  come  in  at  night  our  army  at  this  place 
would  have  been  forced  to  surrender,  to  the  amount  of 


80  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

60,000  troops.  The  battle  lasted  over  Monday,  and  ended 
by  the  rebels  retreating  on  Tuesday.  Prisoners  are  con- 
stantly being  taken.  Marks  of  the  contending  armies  will 
be  visible  here  for  years  to  come.  A  good  many  men  will 
Hot  be  buried,  as  the  battle-field  covers  such  a  scope  of 
ground.  They  took  12  cannon  from  us  on  Sunday,  we  re- 
took them  Monday  with  40  others  belonging  to  the  rebels. 


PERRYVILLE,  KY.,  Oct.  11, 1862. 1 
CAMP  ON  THE  BATTLE-FIELD.  / 

Again  we  have  been  in  battle  and  come  out  victorious. 
You  have  heard  before  this  of  the  defeat  of  Bragg  and 
Smith  at  the  battle  of  Perry  ville.  The  loss  was  very  heavy 
on  both  sides,  but  the  rebel  loss  was  ten  to  one  heavier  than 
ours.  Our  forces  under  Buel  were  skirmishing  continually 
from  Bradstown  to  Perry  ville,  where  the  rebel  general 
stopped  to  give  us  battle.  Our  regiment  and  the  2d  Mo. 
were  sent  in  advance,  weut  a  mile  and  the  enemy  met  us. 
The  battle  soon  commenced  in  earnest,  after  we  had  fought 
an  hour  or  two  we  were  recalled,  and  a  brigade  sent  out  in 
our  place.  We  were  then  put  to  support  Loomis's  battery 
on  a  hill  in  full  view  of  both  armies.  Brigade  after  brig- 
ade came  in  action.  Some  of  the  regiments  would  be  al- 
most annihilated.  The  bombs  bursting  in  air,  the  shrieks 
of  the  wounded,  the  cheering  of  the  men,  the  notes  of  the 
bugle,  the  roar  of  the  cannon  and  the  clang  of  musketry 
made  the  scene  thrilling  and  terrific.  While  we  were 


FOOTFALLS   OF  LOYALTY.  81 

standing,  almost  spectators,  the  2d  Mo.  by  our  side  lost 
their  colonel,  several  officers,  and  200  men.  We  came  off 
lucky,  only  lost  four  men  killed  and  seven  wounded;  lost 
none  in  our  company  or  Co.  C.  Seems  that  a  ruling 
Providence  protects  the  Clinton  boys.  We  are  after  Bragg 
who  is  retreating.  I  have  to  write  in  a  hurry  as  we  are 
still  burying  our  dead. 


LEBANON,  KY.,  Dec.  27.  1 
CAMP  BEN  SPAULDING.  / 

I  tried  my  best  the  other  day  to  get  a  furlough,  but  did 
not  succeed.  The  colonel  says  it  is  against  Gen.  Buel's  or- 
ders, for  the  reason  that'  a  grand  move  is  to  be  made  and 
no  furloughs  will  be  given. 

There  is  some  talk  of  England  fighting  us.  I  am  not 
sorry,  if  she  is  bound  to  fight  us.  She  might  as  well  do  it 
now  as  at  any  other  time — while  we  have  our  hands  in. 
I  see  by  the  papers  that  she  has  given  our  country  five 
days  to  decide  whether  we  will  give  up  Slidell  and  Mason. 
If  the  administration  does  give  them  up,  I  hope  the  peo- 
ple will  arise  and  hurl  it  from  power  and  elect  another. 
If  England  wants  Slidell  and  Mason,  execute  them  first  and 
give  her  their  bodies.  She  has  always  sought  every  op- 
portunity that  lay  in  her  power  of  insulting  this  govern- 
ment, and  now  if  she  wants  to  fight,  let  her  come,  we  are 
ready  and  willing  to  whip  her. 


82  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 


A.  J.  CEOPSEY, 

LIEUT.  COL.  129rn  ILL.  VOL. 

TO  HIS  WIFE. 

LOUISVILLE,  KY.,  Oct.  1, 1862. 

We  had  an  alarm  last  Sunday ;  we  could  hear  the  guns, 
and  some  said  they  were  shells.  Then  there  was  a  great 
hurrah  to  get  into  .line;  a  few  were  taken  suddenly  sick, 
but  nearly  all  were  delighted  at  the  prospect  of  a  fight, 
anything  better  than  lying  idle.  I  suppose  the  alarm  was 
caused  by  the  firing  of  some  of  our  own  guns.  There  is  a 
rumor  this  morning  that  pickets  were  driven  in  last  night, 
and  since  an  early  hour  troops  in  large  bodies  with  cannon 
and  baggage  trains  have  been  filing  past  our  camp  towards 
the  country.  Some  say  they  are  going  out  to  fight,  but 
there  is  precious  little  danger  of  that  until  we  have  a 
change  of  generals.  With  all  the  bloody  battles  that  have 
been  fought  ten  die  in  hospital  to  one  on  the  field.  The 
death  of  our  commander,  Nelson,  caused  quite  a  sensation 
here. 

We  get  into  line  early  every  morning  and  stand  till 
daylight  to  prevent  a  surprise,  but  if  the  best  information 
I  can  get  be  true  there  is  just  now  about  as  much  danger  in 
Fairbury,  111.,  as  there  is  in  Louisville. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  83 

STANFORD,  KENTUCKY,  Oct.  15, 1862. 
We  are  now  100  miles  south-west  of  Louisville,  at  the 
tail  end  of  Buel's  army,  which  is  after  the  rebel  Bragg, 
As  I  wrote  you  before,  the  rebels  can  outrun  our  folks, 
and  we  are  here  in  such  force  that  they  have  no  inclina- 
tion to  fight  the  main  army.  They  pitched  into  one  divis- 
ion the  other  day  and  got  so  roughly  handled  that  they 
will  let  us  alone  for  the  present,  still  there  is  prospect 
enough  to  keep  up  an  excitement.  We  have  orders  to- 
night to  be  ready  to  march  at  3  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
We  shall  probably  go  on  to  Cumberland  Gap  and  then 
perhaps  march  back  again,  for  I  expect  by  that  time  the 
rebels  will  be  in  our  rear. 


BOWLING  GREEN,  KY.,  Nov.  22,  1862. 
No  officer  can  get  permission  at  this  time  to  leave  here. 
Col.  Smith  has  been  trying  to  get  leave  to  visit  Illinois, 
and  failed,  though  he  was  so  sick  he  would  be  unfit  for  duty 
for  a  month.  So  you  see  what  chance  a  well  man  has, 
and  if  we  should  go  home  without  a  permit  we  would  be 
sent  for  as  deserters  and  locked  in  irons.  In  the  army 
everything  goes  by  rank  and  orders.  If  a  man  outranks 
you  though  he  may  be  a  fool  or  a  knave,  or  both,  you 
must  treat  him  with  respect,  and  when  you  get  orders 
from  proper  authorities,  no  matter  how  injudicious  or  bad 
or  cruel,  as  a  soldier  you  must  obey  or  take  the  conse- 
quences. 


84  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

We  tried  a  man  the  other  day  for  desertion  and  theft 
who  had  simply  gone  home  to  see  his  family  and  taken  a 
government  horse  and  arms  with  him,  and  he  is  now  in 
jail  awaiting  his  sentence  for  the  terrible  offense  of  going 
to  see  his  family  for  one  day,  or  desertion.  This  to  some 
would  seem  like  tyranny,  and  of  course  it  is;  most  mili- 
tary laws  are  despotic.  There  are  3,000  lying  sick  in  this 
hospital  in  every  stage  of  disease,  eight  to  ten  dying  daily. 
Some  officers  are  forming  bad  habits,  getting  drunk  and 
the  like;  I  have  no  taste  for  this.  Some  are  hearing  from 
home  that  their  wives  are  sick  or  their  children  dying. 
Some  soldiers  laugh  over  their  troubles  and  joke  about 
them,  others  complain  and  make  long  faces.  The  first  are 
the  best  Christians;  let  us  imitate  them  if  possible,  as  our 
troubles  are  for  the  most  part  but  petty  annoyances  any- 
how. 


BUCKS  LODGE,  TENN.,  Dec.  28,  1862. 
The  secesh  have  taken  possession  of  the  mail  route 
somewhere  up  towards  "America,"  and  they  may  in  the 
hurry  of  camp  life  forget  to  forward  you  my  last  letter. 
If  they  get  this  I  will  continue  to  write  once  or  twice  a  week 
until  our  "  beloved  brethren  "  let  up  on  the  railroad  embargo. 
It  is  rumored  that  the  secesh  have  made  an  inroad  into 
Kentucky  through  the  mountains.  If  this  is  true  we  may 
have  to  take  the  back  track  towards  Frankfort  or  Louis- 
ville. We  have  not  the  least  idea  one  day  where  we  will 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  85 

be  the  next,  but  this  does  not  trouble  us  as  much  as  at  first, 
for  after  a  little  experience  we  can  pitch  our  tents  and 
have  everything  in  good  running  order  in  an  hour  and  a 
half,  and  one  accustomed,  like  your  "  worser  "  half,  to  take 
the  world  as  it  goes,  without  grumbling,  soon  learns  to  put 
up  with  the  inconveniencies.  I  must  stop  here  long 
enough  to  go  to  church.  The  chaplain  of  another  regi- 
ment is  preaching  a  few  rods  in  front  of  our  "  rag  house," 
or  in  a  more  dignified  phrase,  "our  head-quarters."  They 
often  have  meetings  in  camp,  prayer-meetings  evenings 
and  preaching  on  Sundays,  when  we  are  not  marching  or 
happen  to  have  urgent  business,  which  is  often  the  case. 
There  is  so  much  noise,  confusion,  and  disturbances  of 
various  kinds  that  it  makes  the  camp  a  hard  place  to  hold 
religious  exercises,  still  it  does  me  good  to  hear  the  good 
old  Methodist  hymns  that  are  not  only  suited  to  the  emo- 
tions of  a  grateful  heart,  but  remind  me  of  the  pleasant 
times  in  the  past  enjoyed  in  our  own  little  village  church. 


BUCKS  LODGE,  TENN.,  March  24,  1863. 
Col.  Smith  is  quite  sick  again.  Our  regiment  has  mounted 
a  few  men  and  they  are  making  quite  a  stir  about  the 
country  here,  bringing  in  rebels,  horses,  mules,  slaves, 
and  contraband  goods.  The  other  day  a  passenger  train 
was  taken  by  guerillas  six  miles  above  this  place.  They 
put  logs  on  the  track,  threw  off  the  engine  and  two  ex- 
press cars,  and  fired  into  the  train.  Some  of  our  boys 


86  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 

got  there  in  about  fifteen  minutes  (they  were  camped  two 
miles  from  the  wreck),  and  the  chivalry  ran  without  firing 
a  gun.  These  are  the  human  beings  that  are  praised  by 
all  copperheads  as  brave  and  chivalrous.  Our  boys 
wounded  five  of  them,  captured  four  men  and  four  horses, 
and  killed  one  horse.  The  more  I  see  of  these  people,  de- 
based by  the  ruinous  system  of  slavery,  the  more  I  hate 
the  system.  How  any  man  who  has  any  sense  of  decency 
can  support  it  surpasses  my  comprehension.  It  most  cer- 
tainly is  the  "sum  of  all  villainies."  A  just  God  must  and 
will  smite  any  nation  that  sustains  such  an  infernal  institu- 
tion. It  is  a  violation  of  every  principle  of  justice,  love, 
and  mercy.  Most  of  the  people  here  are  badly  deceived. 
Ignorant,  designing  traitor  leaders  feed  them  with  false- 
hoods about  Lincoln  and  the  Yankees.  Not  more  than  one- 
quarter  of  them  in  this  country  can  write  their  own  names. 


HIGHLAND  STATION,  TENN.,  May  9,  1863. 
We  have  been  in  a  state  of  fearful  apprehension  about 
the  result  of  the  battle  on  the  Rappahannock.     It  seems 
from  last  evening's  news  that  our  army  is  driven  back  on 
the  river  with  fearful  loss.     We  hope  for  the  best. 
•  As  to  the  trees,  I  took  great  pleasure  in  planting,  taking 
care  and  seeing  them  grow,  thinking  that  in  the  future  we 
might  live  in  their  midst,  eat  their  fruits,  and  enjoy  their 
shade;   trees  always  seem  to  me  to  be  a  kind  of  friends, 
and  honest  ones,  always  repaying  those  who  love  and  care 


FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY.  87 

for  them,  with  fruit  to  eat,  shade  to  protect  from  the  burn- 
ing rays  of  the  summer  sun,  and  shelter  from  the  winds  of 
winter.  No  hypocrisy,  no  cheating,  no  discount,  but  pay- 
ing for  just  what  they  receive,  and  I  always  did  love  their 
beauty.  They  seem  to  be  living  witnesses  of  God's  love 
to  us,  are  much  like  the  human  family,  first  a  little  shrub 
that  the  foot  of  a  child  could  crush  and  kill,  next  the 
rapid  growth,  then  the  bloom  and  beauty  of  youth  so  sen- 
sitive to  kindly  care  or  grievous  wrong,  becoming  beautiful 
and  useful  or  ugly  and  worthless.  Then  comes  the  tree 
in  its  prime,  like  man  in  the  full  vigor  of  middle  age  with 
all  of  his  powers  fully  developed.  Then  comes  the  season 
of  old  age  and  decay.  They  tremble  in  weakness  and  de- 
bility and  finally  lay  themselves  down,  like  an  old  man, 
in  death. 


GALLATINE,  Aug.  16,  1863. 

Many  still  come  in  to  take  the  oath,  soldiers  and  citi- 
zens. Some  days  the  court-house  is  crowded  with  them, 
and  this  is  the  case  all  over  the  South,  that  is  of  course  the 
part  of  it  in  possession  of  the  Union  army.  This  shows 
they  are  losing  all  hopes,  that  in  their  opinion  the  rebel- 
lion has  failed  and  that  for  protection  they  must  get  under 
the  flag  of  Uncle  Sam.  It  weakens  the  rebels  as  much 
as  a  defeat  on  the  field  of  battle,  for  most  that  take  the  oath 
will  to  some  extent  support  the  Union  cause,  or  at  the 
worst,  will  no  longer  aid  the  rebellion.  So  you  see  I  think 


88  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

the  golden  days  of  peace  are  rapidly  approaching,  and  our 
land  shall  no  longer  be  filled  with  the  horrors  of  war. 


NASHVILLE,  Oct.  11,  1863. 

Last  Wednesday  evening  at  8  o'clock  we  were  ordered 
to  proceed  to  the  cars  at  once,  prepared  with  100  rounds 
of  ammunition  and  three  days'  rations,  to  go  to  Franklin, 
twenty  miles  distant,  and  to  Columbia,  forty-five  miles,  five 
companies  to  each  place.  We  had  to  send  down  town  for 
rations,  and  to  the  penitentiary  for  one  company  on  guard 
there,  and  it  was  11  P.M.  when  we  got  to  the  cars,  and 
another  hour  before  we  got  under  way.  Started  very 
slowly  and  finally  stopped  altogether,  before  going  two 
miles,  having  found  out  we  had  too  much  load  for  the 
little  engine,  and  we  had  to  send  back  for  another  one. 
Got  under  way  again  at  3  A.M.  Col.  Harrison,  who  was 
acting  commander,  ordered  me  to  take  command  until  we 
reached  Franklin,  which  I  did.  "We  found  this  place  to 
be  a  very  pleasant  little  city  of  2,000  inhabitants;  no  rebels 
came  to  take  it,  so  the  second  day  we  were  ordered  to  re- 
turn to  our  old  camp  at  Nashville,  and  here  we  are  after 
our  short  and  bloodless  campaign. 

To-day  I  went  down  to  listen  to  the  ministrations  of 
Mr.  Baldwin,  the  secesh  D.D.  He  seemed  more  secesh 
and  less  religious  than  before.  He  had  received  notice 
that  his  church  was  to  be  used  as  a  hospital  for  wounded 
Union  soldiers,  and  it  probably  disturbed  the  equanimity 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  89 

of  his  Christian  temper.  The  pulpit  of  the  M.  E.  Church 
South  has  been  filled  with  the  blindest  and  rankest  of 
traitors  for  long  years.  He  gave  notice  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  service,  and  some  of  his  congregation  cast 
glances,  not  very  loving  ones,  at  the  soldier  brethren 
present. 


90  FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY. 

WM.  B.  ROBB, 
Co.  A,  26TH  Mo. 

NEAE  MEMPHIS,  TENN.,  Feb.  16, 1863. 

Camp  is  always  full  of  flying  rumors,  sensational  news, 
and  "latest  dispatches."  The  intelligent  soldier  who  cares 
for  the  interest  of  the  nation  and  the  progress  of  the  war 
wishes  to  have  a  summary  or  detailed  account  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  congress,  the  decisions  of  the  last  cabinet  meet- 
ing, and  the  proceedings  of  the  various  state  assemblies  and 
conventions  of  the  nation.  The  volunteer  is  highly  inter- 
ested in  these  movements,  and  it  does  not  detract  from  his 
duty  as  a  soldier  to  read  and  discuss  these  important  mat- 
ters that  affect  him  as  well  as  his  neighbor  at  home.  News 
for  some  months  has  not  been  equal  to  quarter  rations. 
The  dailies  are  brief,  sensational,  and  very  unsatisfactory 
to  one  who  has  been  wont  to  have  his  weekly  newspaper. 
If  soldiers  are  allowed  news  at  all,  they  should  have  a  full 
ration,  and  not,  as  has  been  the  case,  just  enough  to  excite 
and  not  satisfy  them  of  what  is  being  done.  A  weekly 
summary  is  enough  for  the  common  soldier. 

The  secesh  organs  have  been  doing  a  deal  of  mischief  by 
their  foul  statements  in  creating  a  most  mutinous  spirit 
among  the  soldiers,  leading  them  to  insubordination  and 
desertion.  Month  after  month  these  infernal  sheets  have 
been  circulated  through  our  camps,  disseminating  treason- 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  91 

able  doctrines,  with  which  their  columns  are  filled.  Every 
patriot  must  have  rejoiced  at  the  suppression  of  the  Chicago- 
Times  and  Philadelphia  Journal.  The  latter  paper  I  never 
saw  in  our  camp,  but  one  such  sheet  as  the  Times  was  too- 
much.  The  soldiers  who  bought  and  read  it  had  a  per- 
fect contempt  for  the  miserable  tool  of  an  editor  who  pre- 
sided over  that  faithful  sheet  to  Jeff  Davis  and  his  nest  of 
pirates.  The  Cincinnati  Enquirer  was  another  dirty  tool 
for  the  rebel  sympathizers  and  traitors  of  the  North. 

Not  long  ago  our  pickets  took  in  some  prisoners,  and 
while  escorting  them  to  head-quarters  asked  them  on  what 
they  based  their  hopes  of  success.  One  of  them  replied: 
"Why,  according  to  your  own  papers  the  North  will  soon 
be  divided  and  you  cannot  raise  any  more  men,  then  we 
will  be  recognized  and  gain  our  independence."  He  was- 
asked  in  what  papers  he  found  these  statements.  He  an- 
swered, "Chicago  Times,  Cincinnati  Enquirer,  and  the  St. 
Louis  Republican"  It  is  needless  to  add  he  was  corrected 
and  informed  that  these  papers  were  not  representatives  of 
public  opinion. 

The  incessant  rains  prevent  any  movements  at  present 
by  land.  We  have  pontoons  placed  around  our  camp  and 
can  have  dress  parade,  and  go  to  the  sutlers. 


VICKSBURG,  Miss.,  Aug.  1,  1863. 
FRIEND  KITCHELL — The  3d  brigade,  7th  division,  17th 
Army  Corps,  played  their  part  in  the  memorable  siege  of  this 


92  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

city  until  the  23d  of  June,  when  the  approach  of  Johnson 
made  it  necessary  to  pay  attention  to  his  movements  in  our 
rear.  A  brigade  from  each  division  was  withdrawn  from  the 
entrenchments  and  sent  out  to  Black  river.  The  3d  brigade, 
composed  of  the  26th  Mo.,  5th  Iowa,  93d  111.,  and  10th 
Iowa,  under  command  of  Gen.  Mathias,  made  a  rapid  march 
of  twenty-five  miles  in  nearly  as  many  hours.  We  arrived 
in  the  vicinity  of  a  cavalry  skirmish  and  halted,  waiting  for 
further  demonstrations  from  the  enemy.  We  waited  for 
several  days  but  no  further  show  of  fight,  the  enemy  hav- 
ing fallen  back.  We  changed  our  position  and  began  to 
•fortify,  expecting  some  fine  morning  Johnson  would  be 
upon  us  like  a  million  of  wildcats,  and  "  raise  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg."  Our  forts  were  built  and  rifle  pits  dug  ready 
for  a  furious  battle,  when  lo !  terms  of  capitulation  were 
made  for  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg.  It  was  surprising 
to  some,  while  others  "  expected  it."  On  the  4th  of  July 
at  noon,  an  order  announcing  the  surrender  of  the  city  and 
garrison  was  read  to  the  troops,  who  received  it  with 
deafening  cheers  and  huzzas  for  Gen.  Grant.  Everybody 
felt  relieved.  Immediately  after  the  capture  of  Vicksburg 
Grant  sent  out  heavy  columns  after  Johnston,  who  it  seems 
got  wind  of  the  surrender  and  fell  back  to  Jackson  to  make 
a  stand  against  our  forces,  but  he  made  a  hasty  retreat  be- 
yond Pearl  river  to  the  other  side  of  Dixie.  On  the  15th 
•of  July  our  brigade  marched  to  Jackson,  but  had  not  more 
than  chosen  our  camp  ground  when  we  were  ordered  to 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  93 

march  back  at  once  without  even  supper,  loading  our  guns, 
for  some  cavalry  were  reported  skulking  in  our  way.  We 
arrived  at  Clinton  by  11  o'clock  P.M.  and  lay  down  to 
rest  on  a  grassy  knoll  near  the  town.  At  3  A.M.  the 
alarm  was  given,  camp  aroused,  line  of  battle  formed,  and 
the  enemy  awaited;  half  an  hour  passed  by  and  we  lay 
down  once  more  to  mend  our  broken  sleep.  By  early 
dawn  the  men  were  roused  up  to  get  breakfast  as  soon  as 
possible,  but  before  it  was  half  ready  the  order  to  "  fall  in 
quick"  was  given  and  obeyed.  The  regiment  was  deployed 
about  town  and  skirmishers  sent  out.  The  citizens  were 
all  up,  and  the  deepest  anxiety  marked  their  unusual  long 
faces.  Some  tried  to  get  out  of  town  but  were  promptly 
prevented.  The  firing  of  the  skirmishers  began  and  could 
be  seen  only  a  half  mile  from  town.  The  secesh  women 
became  very  much  alarmed  and  hoped  we  would  not  fight 
in  town,  two  old  maids  came  to  us  frantic  with  terror  and 
begged  for  protection.  We  told  them  we  would  hold  the 
town,  and  if  anybody  was  hurt  it  would  be  the  fault  of 
their  rebel  friends  for  attacking  us  there.  The  firing  went 
on,  while  the  boys  tried  to  finish  their  breakfast.  Two  or 
three  hours  thus  passed  away  and  the  enemy  disappeared. 
Of  the  condition  of  Vicksburg  at  the  time  of  its  sur- 
render not  much  can  be  said  of  its  sanitary  arrangements. 
The  stench  of  decayed  animals  killed  by  our  shells,  and 
the  natural  filthy  condition  of  the  rebels  in  camp  (I  have 
seen  a  good  many  of  their  camps,  and  never  a  one  but  was 


94  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

pregnant  with  filth  and  stench),  made  it  almost  intolerable 
to  live  there  after  the  surrender. 

Our  men  are  busy  cleaning  out  the  streets,  alleys,  houses, 
etc.,  that  are  in  a  horrible  state  of  foulness.  The  rebels 
seem  to  be  strangers  to  cleanliness.  The  activity  of  our 
artillery  in  shelling  the  city  may  have  had  something  to  do 
with  it.  The  ravines  are  filled  with  skeletons  of  horses, 
cows,  and  mules  killed  by  our  shells.  The  town  is  not 
damaged  much,  but  many  buildings  show  the  marks  of 
shot.  It  is  quite  a  curiosity  to  go  around  the  city  and 
environs  and  see  the  numerous  holes  in  which  the  rebels 
lived  during  the  siege,  and  it  is  astonishing  how  our 
transports  ran  the  blockade  last  spring  in  the  face  of  such 
guns  as  were  planted  to  command  the  river. 

One  of  the  rebs.  said  :  "  We  did  not  surrender  to  Gen. 
Grant,  but  to  Gen.  Starvation."  Another  declared  we 
"had  gained  d — d  little  in  Vicksburg  and  its  garrison." 
They  are  down  on  Gen.  Pemberton,  and  call  him  bad 
names.  Most  of  the  men  are  tired  of  fighting.  The 
Missourians  were  severe  on  the  treatment  they  received 
in  Mississippi.  They  will  fight  no  more  for  the  C.  S.  A. 

A  rebel  captain  asked  some  wenches  if  they  would  not 
rather  be  with  their  masters.  "  No,  sah ;"  was  the  quick 
reply.  "How  do  you  like  the  Yankees?"  he  asked. 
"  Fus'  rate,  da  are  perfec'  ge'm'ns  by  de  side  ob  yo'  secesh. 
We  gits  plenty  to  eat  an'  wear,  an'  pay  besides."  The 
rebels  rode  off  amid  the  titter  of  the  bystanders.  I  saw 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  95 

some  soldiers  of  "African  descent"  the  other  day  in  town. 
They  looked  well  and  were  "pressing"  all  "gentlemen  of 
color"  into  the  ranks  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  If  he 
tries  to  get  away  they  sing  out :  "  Halt  dar,  can't  come  dat 
ar  game  ober  us." 

The  paroled  men  marched  out  in  front  of  us  on  the 
march  to  Jackson,  which  gave  opportunity  of  contrasting 
the  troops  of  the  two  armies.  The  rebels  were  dejected, 
care-worn,  and  spiritless.  The  pale,  sunken  cheeks,  the 
coarse,  home-spun  and  "  nigger  jeans,"  which  beggars  de- 
scription, covered  with  grease  and  dirt,  was  certainly  a 
sight  to  exhibit  the  reality  of  despair!  Our  boys  well 
shod  and  dressed  in  blue,  with  elastic  step,  sparkling  eyes, 
and  ruddy  faces,  marched  with  glittering  steel,  and  wore 
an  invincible  air  of  never-to-be-conquered  heroes,  whose 
fame  dates  from  many  a  battle  field.  The  rebels  not  only 
saw  the  contrast,  but  felt  the  difference  between  C.  8.  A. 
and  U.  S.  A.. 


HUNTSVILLE,  ALA.,  March,  1864. 
If  there  is  any  poor,  deluded,  God-forsaken  set  of  men 
for  whom  the  Union  soldiers  have  a  more  supreme  con- 
tempt than  the  rebel  hordes  we  have  been  battling  so  long, 
it  is  the  detestable,  whining,  self-condemned  "peace" 
croakers  of  the  North,  who  are  too  cowardly  to  fight  for 
principle,  honor,  or  their  country.  They  will  rather  fol- 
low the  fag  end  of  "  Democracy  "  joined  to  the  dirty  linen 


96  FOOTFALLS  OP  LOYALTY. 

of  secession,  and  cry  peace,  compromise,  and  Southern  rights, 
till  they  all  go  bodily  to  the  devil  with  his  infernal  crew. 
We  don't  like  to  use  harsh  language  even  to  our  "  erring 
Southern  brethera,"  but  if  nothing  else  will  waken  them 
to  a  sense  of  true  honor  and  manhood,  why,  let  it  rain  fire 
from  heaven  and  scorch  out  the  virus  of  treason  from  our 
land.  Fire  is  a  great  purifier,  both  moral  and  physical. 
We  find  bullets  better  than  ballots  to  decide  the  great  dis- 
pute between  Union  and  dis-Union.  There  never  was  a 
set  of  men  more  in  earnest  than  those  engaged  in  this  war 
for  sustaining  the  constitution.  The  copperheads  will  not 
be  forgotten  by  us.  I  suppose  they  will  not  resist  any 
draft  by  force  of  arms,  but  they  will  induce  men  to  leave 
the  country,  and  will  influence  the  election  to  embarrass 
the  operations  of  government.  Their  actions  are  closely 
watched  by  the  soldiers;  and  noted  for  future  reference. 


FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY.  97 


FEOM  THE  ALEDO  (ILL.)  EECOED. 

CAMP  AT  LOUDEN,  EAST  TENN.,  "I 
March  1st,  1864.      J 

The  27th  111.  V.  I.  received  honorable  mention  for  the 
part  we  took  in  that  greatest  of  all  battles  the  world  has 
ever  witnessed,  the  storming  of  Mission  Ridge,  by  corres- 
pondents who  viewed  the  scene  at  "a  distance  which  lent 
enchantment  to  the  view."  None  can  know  the  terrible 
grandeur  of  the  scene  except  those  who  took  a  part  in  the 
terrible  conflict.  We  were  ordered  in  line  of  battle  and 
under  fire  on  the  23d  of  November,  but  after  driving 
back  the  rebel  pickets  a  short  distance  and  entrenching 
ourselves  we  lay  quiet  spectators  of  the  battle  of  Lookout 
Mountain  on  the  24th.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  ever 
memorable  25th  of  November  the  programme  was  changed. 
Our  line  was  slowly  advanced  a  half  mile  nearer  the  moun- 
tain ridge  that  encircled  us.  We  could  plainly  see  the 
heads  and  glistening  bayonets  of  the  men  in  the  long  lines 
of  works  at  the  foot,  on  the  sides  and  crest  of  the  ridge. 
A  short  halt  was  ordered,  and  an  occasional  shell  from 
the  enemy's  batteries  prompted  us  to  lay  closely  to  the 
ground.  At  length  the  signal  gun  Fort  Wood  boomed 
forth  the  intelligence  that  all  was  ready.  "Forward!" 
was  the  cry  along  the  line,  whose  length  was  computed  in 
miles  of  living  men.  Double  quick,  with  fixed  bayonets, 
8 


98  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

down  a  hill  at  first  and  across  an  open  field,  directing  our 
march  towards  some  buildings  at  the  top  of  Mission  Ridge, 
which  had  long  been  pointed  out  to  us  by  deserters  as 
Bragg's  head-quarters.  Boom !  sounded  our  own  artillery, 
which  was  now  unmasked  in  our  rear,  while  terrible  was 
the  thunder  which  opened  in  our  front,  sending  screaming, 
bursting  shells  among  us,  but  we  stopped  not  to  listen. 
Two  miles  in  such  a  storm  was  a  long  march,  but  we 
stopped  not  to  consider.  At  length  we  were  in  musket 
range  of  the  first  rifle  pits,  but  we  halted  not  as  the  minies 
came  rippling  past  our  ears,  but  rather  quickened  our 
speed  as  we  crossed  the  open  meadows  and  approached 
their  works.  One  or  two  terrified  rebels  showed  their 
gray  backs  and  began  scrambling  up  the  hill,  followed  by 
a  few  more,  and  then  arose  a  shout  and  cheer  from  our 
line  of  panting  men,  such  as  we  never  heard  before.  A 
volley  from  our  muskets  cleared  the  first  ditch  of  half  the 
rebels  it  contained,  while  the  remaining  half  lay  down  in 
the  bottom  of  the  ditches,  and  we 'jumped  in  on  top  of 
them.  We  waited  but  a  moment  to  load  our  pieces  and 
catch  our  breath,  when  "forward!"  was  again  the  order. 
Up  the  hill  and  take  the  next  line  of  works.  All  this 
time  the  roar  of  battle  was  that  of  Belmont,  Stone  River, 
and  Chicamauga  all  combined,  while  grape,  canister  shot, 
and  shell  were  hailing  down  on  us  as  I  never  saw  it  be- 
fore. The  next  works  were  taken,  then  a  part  of  a  brigade 
to  our  left  gave  way  and  left  us  exposed  to  a  flanking  fire. 


FOOTFALLS   OP   LOYALTY.  99 

It  was  here  that  our  company  suffered  the  most.  "We  had 
just  reached  the  third  line  of  the  works  when  Lieut.  Love 
of  our  company  was  killed.  He  was  a  brave  man.  His 
last  words  were:  "Boys,  all  rise  together  and  follow  me." 
As  he  raised  to  leap  the  ditch  a  ball  passed  through  his 
neck  and  he  fell  back  lifeless  upon  me.  Within  a  few 
yards  of  this  place  Corporal  Weber  was  killed,  and  Private 
Mosby  received  a  mortal  wound.  Sergt.  Beach,  Corporal 
Schalich,  and  Privates  Reasoner  and  Beach  were  wounded, 
and  Private  Lally  received  a  wound,  which  has  since 
proved  fatal — all  brave  men. 

We  reached  the  top  of  the  ridge  in  just  one  hour  from 
the  time  of  starting.  The  charge  was  finished — not  by 
closed,  neatly-dressed  ranks,  which  looked  so  well  in  Har- 
per's Illustrated,  which  are  seldom  seen  in  reality  on  the 
battle  field — but  by  those  who  had  the  stoutest  hearts,  the 
best  lungs  and  legs  taking  the  lead  and  concealing  them- 
selves behind  every  stump  or  stone  that  offered  any  pro- 
tection until  the  crest  was  reached,  and  the  rebel  army 
completely  routed.  The  rebels  continued  to  work  their 
artillery  until  we  were  within  a  few  yards  of  the  cannons' 
•mouth.  They  charged  the  guns  heavily  with  grape  and 
canister,  depressing  the  muzzles  so  as  to  strike  the  ground 
a  few  feet  distant  and  then  rebounding  to  light  among  us. 
It  is  hard  to  tell  what  regimental  colors  first  reached  the 
upper  works,  but  we  know  that  ours  were  not  far  behind 
any  of  them. 


100  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

No  one  who  has  not  met  his  country's  foes  in  mortal 
combat  can  imagine  our  feelings  at  seeing  the  guns,  yet 
hot  from  dealing  deadly  fire  on  us,  turned  on  a  badly 
routed  enemy. 

After  a  moonlight  fight  we  followed  the  rebels  to  Chica- 
mauga  creek,  six  miles  from  Chattanooga,  and  picketed 
the  ground  till  the  evening  of  the  26th,  when  we  returned 
to  Chattanooga. 

S.  B.  ATWATER, 
Ord.  Sergt.  Co.  G,  27th  Itt.  Vol.  Inft. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  101 

NATHANIEL  FEOST, 
Co.  K,  4TH  MINN.  VOLS. 

TO  HIS  FEIENDS. 

CAMP  CLEAR  CKEEK,  July  19,  '62. 

Your  letter  finds  me  rather  limp.  I  have  the  jaundice 
or  some  other  yellow  complaint.  I  have  followed  the  doc- 
tor's prescription  as  well  as  possible,  but  the  drugs  are  a 
little  stronger  than  I  can  stand.  I  take  boneset  tea,  and 
think  that  is  better  than  all  the  drugs.  The  army  here  is 
not  doing  much  but  burying  soldiers.  In  this  God-for- 
saken country  they  are  dying  off  pretty  fast,  the  climate, 
drugs,  and  doctors  killing  about  three  to  one  killed  by  the 
enemy. 

I  must  confess  that  I  am  ashamed  of  Gen.  Halleck's  ac- 
tion here  at  Corinth.  I  think  if  he  had  not  been  here 
Beauregard  would  not  have  marched  his  army  to  Rich- 
mond. Gen.  Pope  sent  word  to  Halleck  that  he  had 
made  all  necessary  arrangements  and  was  ready  to  open  the 
ball,  and  would  lead  the  attack  with  his  division.  Other 
generals  also  notified  him  that  they  were  ready,  but  he  told 
them  to  hold  on,  make  all  their  moves  very  cautiously,  and 
not  bring  on  a  general  engagement.  This  happened  a  week 
before  the  evacuation.  All  this  great  army  awaiting  Hal- 
leck's orders,  while  the  rebels  skedaddled.  I  begin  to 
think  his  sympathies  are  not  entirely  with  the  national 
government. 


102  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 


CAMP  NEAR  JACINTO  Miss.,  1 


Sept.  11,  '62. 

We  are  one  and  one-half  miles  from  Jacinto,  a  little 
town  pretty  much  deserted  by  its  inhabitants.  We  expect 
every  day  to  go  to  Corinth.  The  rebel  Gen.  Price  is 
said  to  be  within  twenty-five  miles  of  us  with  30,000  or 
40,000  men. 

Our  lines  are  so  extended  that  we  could  not  get  more 
than  three  or  four  regiments  together  at  one  point  if  we 
were  attacked.  We  have  three  and  four  companies  on 
guard  all  the  time  to  provide  against  surprise.  Our  brig- 
ade is  in  front,  and  our  place  is  to  act  as  rear  guard. 
Corinth  is  our  concentrating  point,  there  we  can  stand  the 
rebels  a  pretty  good  fight.  Beauregard's  fortifications  may 
be  of  some  use  to  us  yet. 

I  am  sorry  that  Merrick  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
rebels.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  if  they  take  me  they, 
will  have  to  board  me  awhile  before  they  get  me  to  take 
an  oath  not  to  fight  them  any  more. 


YICKSBURG,  Miss.,  Sept.  2,  1863. 
Our  regiment  reports  but  100  men  for  duty.  You 
wished  to  know  how  Vicksburg  looks.  I  know  of  but 
one  way  for  you  to  find  out — come  and  see — as  it  is  not  an 
easy  place  to  describe.  It  is  situated  on  very  rough  ground. 
The  town  is  laid  out  as  regularly  as  the  ground  will  per- 
mit, and  is  large  enough  to  hold  4,000  or  5,000  people. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  103 

The  inhabitants  are  mostly  Irish,  with  a  sprinkling  of 
Dutch  and  Jews.  They  are  secessionists  to  the  backbone. 
There  are  a  few  of  the  old  native  slaveholders  here.  They 
are  generally  very  tall  men,  each  with  a  nose  long  enough 
for  a  plow  beam  (more  or  less).  All  come  to  Uncle  Sam's 
commissary  department  to  get  something  to  eat.  Some  of 
them  express  their  doubts  of  the  confederacy's  ability  to 
sustain  itself  much  longer.  There  is  a  rumor  going  the 
rounds  of  the  papers  that  the  rebel  Gen.  John  C.  Pember- 
ton  was  shot  and  killed  by  one  of  his  own  men.  I  am 
rather  inclined  to  believe  the  report,  for  I  heard  more  than 
one  of  them  say  they  would  shoot  him  if  they  ever  got  a 
chance.  They  said  he  would  never  have  the  privilege  of 
surrendering  another  city. 


104  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

J.  A.  ANNESS. 

Co.  K.  18TH  IND.  V.  I. 

TO  HIS  MOTHER. 

"BREVITIES." 

CAMP  JESSIE,  NEAR  ST.  Louis,  Mo.,  "I 
Aug.  19,  1861.  / 

I  am  to-day  in  camp  near  a  large  peach  orchard,  and  in 
a  few  hours  we  will  go  over  and  take  a  few  of  the  peaches 
in.  Our  camp  is  named  after  the  wife  of  Gen.  J.  C.  Fre- 
mont, whose  given  name  is  Jessie.  We  go  farther  west  to 
Jefferson  City,  Mo.,  and  there  we  may  have  a  fight  with 
Jackson,  the  rebel  governor  of  this  state. 

My  love  to  brother,  sister,  and  mother,  also. 

St.  Louis  is  quite  a  city. 


CAMP  NEAR  GEORGETOWN,  Mo., 
Sept.  30,  1861. 

I  was  18  years  old  on  the  28th  of  this  month,  and  marched 
all  day  from  Boonville,  Mo.  I  am  off  in  a  few  hours  for 
a  scout 


IN  HOSPITAL  AT  ORTERVILLE,  Mo.,  1 
Oct.  10,  1861.     J 

I  am  sick  with  measles.  We  are  to  be  moved  to  St. 
Louis  in  a  day  or  two.  Can't  write  much  now,  will  write 
when  we  get  to  the  city. 


FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY.  105 

FOURTH  ST.  HOSPITAL,  ST.  Louis, 
Oct.  17,  '61. 

I  am  now  feeling  better.  I  received  a  letter  from  you 
a  few  days  ago;  was  glad  to  hear  from  home.  I  will  take 
your  advice  and  be  a  good  soldier  and  shun  all  bad  habits. 


NEAR  ORTERVILLE,  Mo.,  ) 
IN  CAMP,  Nov.  30,  '61.      J 

I  am  back  from  the  hospital  but  am  getting  sick  again ; 
my  head  aches  and  I  can't  write  now. 


Dec.  8,  '61. 

I  am  out  on  the  prairie  in  a  tent  all  alone.  Have  got 
the  small-pox.  Dr.  Bigney  came  out  to  see  me  to-day  and 
told  me  not  to  write  home,  but  I  thought  I  might  go  to 
the  happy  hunting  grounds,  so  concluded  to  disobey  orders. 
An  old  nigger  who  passed  by  told  me  to  tie  the  letter  to  a 
piece  of  wood  and  throw  it  over  the  fence  and  he  would 
take  it  to  the  post-office. 

Dec.  20. 

Came  to  camp  this  morning  and  found  my  favorite  com- 
rade, Albert  Luther,  gone  to  the  woods  in  a  tent  with  small- 
pox. I  shall  go  and  take  care  of  him. 


SMALL-POX  HOSPITAL,  Two  MILES  SOUTH  "I 
OF  ORTERVILLE,  Dec.  22,  '61.      j 

I  came  here  last  night  with  Albert  Luther.     He  is  now 
oast  seeing,  and  looks  fearful  bad ;  says  he  knows  he  will 


106  FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY. 

die.     I  tell  him  he  will  live  to  be  old  if  he  does  not  die 
sometime.     I  will  send  this  when  I  get  a  chance. 


GRAND  GULF,  Miss.,  May  13,  1863. 
I  was  wounded  on  the  1st  day  of  this  month,  at  Port 
Gibson,  Miss.,  in  my  right  leg,  with  minie  ball,  which 
broke  the  long  bone  below  the  knee.  I  am  mad  to  think 
I  must  lie  on  my  back  when  there  is  so  much  to  do.  An 
old  negro  is  waiting  on  me  and  I  pay  him  one  dollar  a  day 
out  of  my  own  pocket. 


MARINE  HOSPITAL,  EVANSVILLE,  IND.,  1 
June  11,  1863.      / 

I  got  here  to-day.  Will  get  home  as  soon  as  I  can  stand 
it  to  travel  on  the  cars  with  my  leg.  We  came  by  water 
from  Grand  Gulf  all  but  crossing  from  below  Vicksburg 
up  to  Young's  Point. 

IN  TEXAS,  Feb.  2,  1864. 

Got  here  30th  Jan.,  and  re-enlisted  for  three  years  more. 
Will  be  home  on  veteran  furlough  sometime  this  spring. 


WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  July  20,  '64. 
We  go  to  Bermuda  Hundred  or  Deep  Bottom,   "Va. 
Start  to-night. 


BERMUDA  HUNDRED,  VA.,  Aug.  2,  '64. 
We  are  now  fighting  day  and  night.     No  time  to  write. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  107 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  Aug.  13,  '64. 
We  returned  from  Va.  by  the  way  of  James  river  and 
Chesapeake  Bay.     We  start  to-morrow  for  the  Shenandoah 
Valley. 


CEDAR  CREEK,  VA.,  Oct.  21,  '64. 
We  have  had  some  hard  fought  battles  since  we  came  to 
to  th  is  valley,  over  two  months  ago.  Fought  at  Winchester, 
Sept.  19;  at  Fisher's  Hill  the  20th  and  21st  of  Sept.,  and 
have  been  up  the  valley  as  far  as  Mount  Crawford,  and  it 
is  fight,  fight.  We  had  a  fearful  battle  at  Cedar  Creek  two 
days  ago. 


108  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 


FUGITIVE  LETTERS  TO  COMRADES,  HOME, 
AND  FRIENDS. 


FRED  NEHRING, 

• 

2o  LIEUT.  Co.  A,  SD  Mo. 

ST.  Louis  ARSENAL,  April  25,  1861. 
Louis  Wollschlager: 

MY  DEAR  FRIEND — Here  I  am  under  arms;  times 
are  dreadful.  The  city  is  divided  between  Union  men 
and  rebels;  both  flags — the  stars  and  stripes  and  the 
stars  and  bars — are  waving  over  St.  Louis.  I  am  cer- 
tain we  will  have  to  fight  here,  for  the  rebels  are  trying 
their  very  best  to  push  Missouri  out  of  the  Union  into 
the  Southern  Confederacy ;  however,  we  are  up  to  their 
tricks.  Capt.  Lyons  (afterwards  general)  has  kept  this 
place  with  four  companies  of  regulars,  until  these  newly 
organized  regiments  joined  him. 

The  minute  men,  a  secret  rebel  organization,  cannot  take 
this  place  again.  It  was  said  they  were  going  to  attack  us 
last  night,  1,500  strong,  thus  we  were  kept  under  arms  all 
night;  no  one  troubled  us.  Having  now  2,300  fighting 
men  in  here,  we  are  competent  to  repulse  any  rebel  force 
that  might  approach  the  walls  from  any  direction,  either 
•east,  west,  south,  or  north.  The  ground  of  the  arsenal 
covers  about  three  acres,  being  walled  in  by  sandstone 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  100 

walls  eight  feet  high  and  three  feet  thick,  only  two  gates 
leading  into  it,  one  being  north,  on  4th  street,  the  other 
south,  near  the  river.  There  are  nearly  20,000  rifles  and 
rifled  muskets  stacked  away  in  these  government  buildings 
(these  arms  are  of  the  latest  pattern),  about  30  cannon,  12 
of  which  are  field  pieces,  and  a  few  howitzers,  the  balance 
being  Mexican  guns  of  small  caliber,  trophies  of  the  last 
war,  fit  only  to  defend  fortifications  with. 

I  belong  to  Eifle  Co.  A,  3d  Regt,  Mo.  Y.  I. ;  you  had 
better  come  and  join  us,  being  just  the  kind  of  weapons 
you  like,  and  as  a  good  shot  and  passionate  hunter,  you 
may  have  a  chance  to  do  good  service  for  the  Union. 

The  question  nowadays  is  either  pro  or  con — no  one 
can  be  neutral.  I  hope  to  God  this  war  may  not  last  so 
long,  notwithstanding  the  government  is  calling  for  three 
years  volunteers;  this  looks  mighty  blue.  Think  I  will 
serve  my  term  of  three  months  first,  and  re-enlist  after- 
wards. If  you  want  to  enlist  go  to  head-quarters  in  Rue- 
dis  Garden;  the  recruiting  officer  will  give  you  a  pass,, 
which  you  will  have  to  show  at  the  gate  to  get  in.  Don't 
forget  to  buckle  your  revolver  around  your  waist,  for  it  i& 
not  safe  to  walk  the  streets.  These  scoundrels  of  police- 
men are  arresting  any  one  who  carries  concealed  weapons. 
However,  as  long  as  you  "  show  up,"  they  will  let  you 
alone,  and  the  roughs  won't  tackle  you.  Did  you  hear  of 
the  trick  that  Lyons  played  on  the  rebs?  Every  night  he 
marched  out  his  handful  of  regulars  secretly  to  Jefferson 


110  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

Barracks,  and  in  the  morning  he  marched  them  back  again 
to  the  arsenal  to  the  music  of  fife  and  drums.  The  rebels 
thought  he  was  receiving  re-inforcements  every  day.  I 
wish  with  all  my  heart  the  Union  had  more  officers  like 
him.  We  would  soon  bring  these  proud  Southerners  to 
terms.  Your  Friend. 


CAMP  PROCLAMATION,  NEAR  WOODVILLE,  ALA.,  \ 

January  24,  1864.      J 

MY  DEAR  Louis — In  order  that  you  may  not  forget 
me,  I  am  sending  you  these  few  lines  concerning  our  ex- 
periences and  hardships.  We  left  luka,  Tenn.,  Oct.  18, 
1863,  to  catch  some  rebels,  about  3,000  or  4,000  strong ; 
their  intention  was  to  fortify  themselves  in  Tuscumbia. 
We  had  good  success,  although  we  could  not  annihilate 
them  entirely.  We  gave  them  a  lively  battle  and  scattered 
them  in  every  direction.  Another  lot  tried  to  flank  us 
four  miles  distant,  but  was  discovered  in  time,  and  we  gave 
them  such  a  hot  reception  they  ran  off.  From  there  we 
went  to  Chattanooga ;  arrived  the  day  before  the  battle.  I 
was  promoted  to  2d  Lieut,  at  Chickasaw,  Ala.  I  had  a 
chance  to  see  the  storming  of  Lookout  Mountain.  I  never 
shall  forget  these  scenes,  and  will  tell  you  all  the  particulars 
as  soon  as  we  meet  again ;  a  lively  conversation  is  better 
than  the  scratching  of  a  pen.  The  re-enlistment  of  our 
regiment  went  off  quietly,  so  it  did  with  the  12th  and  17th 
Mo.  I  heard  that  all  the  men  of  the  76th  111.  re-enlisted. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  Ill 

Several  of  our  officers  are  going  to  St.  Louis  to  bring  con- 
scripts to  fill  the  ranks  of  the  veterans,  but  I  believe  these 
are  only  rumors.  I  think  the  war  will  come  to  an  end 
this  fall,  for  the  rebel  troops  are  completly  demoralized. 
However,  night  before  last  they  captured  the  pickets  of 
our  2d  brigade,  and  last  night  they  ran  off  the  mules  of  our 
division  that  were  in  a  pasture  four  miles  from  here. 
Many  greetings  are  sent  you  from  the  whole  company. 


112  FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY. 

LEVI  E.  POND, 
CAPT.  Co.  E,  TTH  WK.  Y.  L 

CAMP  RANDALL,  1 

MADISON,  Wis.,  Aug  18,  1861.  / 

DEAR  PARENTS  AND  SISTER  MARIA — To-day  we  have 
renewed  the  pledge  of  our  services,  our  honor,  and  our 
lives,  to  our  country,  by  swearing  into  the  U.  S.  service 
for  three  years.  Some  of  my  home  friends  thought  it  was 
not  my  duty,  under  the  circumstances,  to  enlist,  as  my 
presence  and  aid  were  so  necessary  to  you.  You  may  be 
sure  it  was  as  hard  for  me  to  leave  you  to  go  into  an  en- 
emy's land,  not  knowing  if  I  ever  should  see  you  again,  as 
it  was  for  you  to  make  up  your  minds  to  give  me  up.  I 
am  now  bound  bv  the  laws  of  our  country,  and  mv  con- 

d  *   7  J 

science  tells  me  I  have  done  right  to  fight  her  would-be 
destroyers.  I  am  not — we  are  not — fighting  for  ourselves 
alone,  nor  for  the  present  generation,  but  for  the  future  gen- 
erations in  all  coming  time;  not  for  the  North  or  the  union 
of  states  alone,  but  for  the  whole  world,  as  the  world  will 
be  affected  by  the  result  of  this  struggle  for  national  exist- 
ence. I  think  the  end  will  justify  the  sacrifice  of  bloodshed 
and  treasure,  and  meet  the  expectations  of  the  most  ardent 
lovers  of  free  government.  I  am  satisfied  that  should  I 
not  lend  a  helping  hand  in  this  cause,  I  should  ever  after 
feel  wrong,  and  you,  dear  kindred,  ought  to  be  willing  to 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  113 

make  some  sacrifice.  Death  is  not  such  a  terrible  monster 
when  looked  upon  rightly,  for  if  we  determine  to  do  all 
we  can  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  man,  to  do  our  whole 
duty  as  it  is  made  known  to  us,  and  go,  regardless  of  con- 
sequences, wherever  it  may  lead  us,  I  believe  we  can  ap- 
proach the  so-called  "  king  of  terrors  "  without  a  shudder. 
The  present  state  of  our  country  demands  that  all  personal 
and  selfish  considerations  should  be  laid  aside,  and  that  we 
look  to  the  interests  of  the  many.  Should  it  be  my  fate 
to  fall  upon  the  battle  field,  you  should  feel  that  you  had 
done  something  towards  sustaining  the  right,  and  be  con- 
soled by  the  thought  that  death  is  only  a  temporary  sepa- 
ration, and  that  finally,  we  shall  meet  where  cruel  war  has 
no  power  to  divide  families  and  friends.  Remember  we 
shall,  sooner  or  later,  according  to  the  natural  course  of 
events,  be  separated  and  if  by  doing  what  we  regard  to  be 
our  duty  the  parting  comes  sooner,  we  should  say,  Amen. 
But  it  is  not  certain  that  I  shall  be  killed,  nor  is  it  certain 
that  I  should  live  had  I  stayed  at  home.  I  shall  be  very 
careful  not  to  throw  away  my  life,  taking  the  chances  of 
war  as  duty  dictates,  and  as  good  care  of  my  health  as 
circumstances  will  permit.  Be  of  good  cheer. 

Affectionately  yours. 


114  FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY. 

JOSHUA  PECKHAM. 
Co.  F,  3c  Wis.  V.  I. 

TO  HIS  WIFE. 

CLAYTON,  Oct.  28,  1864. 

Perry  and  I  have  had  a  long  talk  on  everything,  includ- 
ing politics,  the  state  of  the  country,  Abe,  Me.,  and  the 
copperheads.  He  says  the  army  he  is  with  will  vote  eight 
out  of  ten  for  Abe.  To  ray  great  surprise  I  found  him 
stout  for  Lincoln  and  down  on  copperheads.  I  am  writ- 
ing to  you  on  my  knapsack  by  the  light  of  a  camp  fire. 
The  soldiers  are  singing  "Just  Before  the  Battle,  Mother." 
The  tune  is  a  mournful  one,  and  just  suits  our  feelings. 
It  is  'splendid ! 


DALTON,  GA.,  Nov.  23,  1864. 

The  soldiers  have  this  town  nearly  torn  down,  and  the 
work  goes  bravely  on.  We  want  boards  to  fix  up  our 
tents,  so  we  go  to  any  house  that  has  no  family  in  it,  pry 
the  boards  off,  the  floor  up,  cut  the  joists  and  studdings 
out,  the  posts  off  and  down  it  comes,  pull  it  to  pieces,  and 
carry  it  off  like  so  many  ants.  Don't  understand  me  that 
we  tear  a  house  down  and  all  to  pieces  first,  then  carry  it 
off,  that  is  not  the  way.  One  gets  a  board  and  starts,  an- 
other gets  a  piece  and  starts.  If  the  rebels  ever  get  back 
here  they  will  think  the  Yankees  are  akin  to  his  satanic 
majesty,  the  devil. 


FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY.  115 

IN  CAMP  NEAR  THE  KAILROAD     \ 
NORTH  OF  DECATUR,  Jan.  10,  1865.  J 

I  will  give  you  one  day's  experience.  Night  before 
last  we  got  into  camp  just  after  dark,  got  our  supper,  put 
up  tents,  had  fires  going.  Soon  came  the  order  to  put  the 
fires  out,  pack  tents,  and  fall  in  (to  "fall  in"  is  to  get 
on  our  traps  and  guns  and  get  up  in  line  ready  to  go),  but 
were  not  ordered  off".  Then  one  at  a  time  we  crept  off  in 
squads  and  laid  down.  Soon  we  were  ordered  up  again, 
and  soon  laid  down  again,  six  or  eight  times  before  three 
o'clock,  then  we  got  started.  Being  very  dark  and  muddy, 
made  it  hard  walking.  We  kept  on  until  daylight,  then 
stopped  and  got  our  "  eat,"  then  started,  went  two  or  three 
miles,  stopped,  then  it  began  to  rain,  and  kept  on  raining  till 
dark.  We  went,  stopped,  started,  sat  down,  went,  stopped, 
and  started,  etc.,  but  still  it  rained.  We  got  into  camp, 
drew  rations,  ate  our  "  eat,"  stood  by  the  fire,  finally  laid 
down — in  the  mud.  How  would  you  like  to  be  a  soldier? 


NASHVILLE,  Dec.  9,  1864. 

I  am  cold,  sick,  and  hungry.  I  don't  know  but  what 
I  am  homesick.  One  thing  sure,  I  am  sick  of  this  kind 
of  a  home.  When  you  are  in  the  house  by  the  stove, 
warm  and  comfortable,  and  the  north  wind  blows  cold, 
think  of  us  camped  outdoors  on  the  ground  between  two 
sheets,  shivering  before  a  bit  of  fire  in  front  of  our  tents, 
that  warms  us  a  little  and  smokes  us  a  good  deal  more. 


116  FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY. 

You  can't  know  what  a  poor,  miserable,  hard  time  soldiers 
have  in  cold  weather.  Just  fancy  that  you  see  six  or 
eight  men  there  in  our  door  yard  all  day  long,  humping 
up,  shivering,  crowding  around  a  fire  made  with  a  few 
sticks  of  wood  on  the  ground,  then  sleeping  in  a  tent  made 
of  cotton  sheets,  with  hard-tack,  meat,  and  coffee  to  live 
on.  In  fact,  I  never  thought  of  any  hardships  of  soldier 
life  but  the  fighting. 


NEAR  WASHINGTON,  May  30,  1865. 
This  is  a  fine  morning.  I  cannot  tell  when  we  shall  start 
for  home.  The  time  will  come,  if  not  before  the  first  of 
October.  I  will  tell  you  something  now  that  I  have  al- 
ways kept  from  you,  knowing  that  it  would  make  you  feel 
bad,  and  if  I  had  told  you  at  the  time  you  would  have 
despaired.  It  is  this:  When  I  sat  down  to  the  table  the 
last  morning  something  said  to  me:  "This  is  the  last  time 
you  will  eat  at  home."  It  started  the  tears,  it  made  such 
an  impression  on  me,  but  I  feel  confident  now  that  I  will 
be  at  home  once  more. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  117 

JOHN  A.  HALLETT, 
79TH  IND.  V.  I. 

IN  CAMP,  GA.,  April  12,  1864. 

DEAR  BROTHER — They  wrote  me  from  home  that  you 
had  enlisted.  I  am  very  sorry  that  you  did  not  take  my 
advice  and  stay  at  home  with  mother,  for,  as  I  have  often 
told  you,  they  want  men  in  the  army,  not  boys.  But  as 
you  are  already  in  'tis  too  late  to  take  my  advice.  Let 
me  give  you  a  little  warning  now  in  time.  You  will 
see  in  the  army  things  and  actions  that  you  never  knew 
of  before — all  kinds  of  vices  that  you  never  heard  of — for 
the  army  is  made  up  of  all  kinds  of  people,  and  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  some  of  the  good  forget  who  they  are 
when  they  get  among  the  bad.  But  though  you  see  vices 
going  on  all  around  you  you  need  not  indulge  in  them.  I 
have  now  been  in  the  army  eighteen  months,  and  I  have 
never  once  used  profane  language,  played  a  game  of  cards, 
or  tasted  any  kind  of  intoxicating  liquors,  yet  all  these 
have  been  in  daily  use  among  my  associates. 


118  FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY. 

H  C.  STIEGELMAN,     • 
BIDDEL'S  RIFLE  REGT. 

CAMP  MASON  AND  DIXON'S  LINE,  1 
July  1,  1861.      j 

DEAR  BROTHER — We  have  hard  fare  at  present.  Yes- 
terday several  accompanied  marches,  not  "  right,  left,"  but 
"  no  bread,  no  bread."  We  have  to  live  on  rice,  beans,  and 
some  few  bad  potatoes.  This  country  is  a  poor  one.  Baker 
walked  six  miles  yesterday  to  buy  bread  of  farmers  but  did 
not  get  any.  Col.  Wallace,  of  the  Indiana  zouaves,  was 
in  camp  yesterday  with  twenty  of  his  men;  they  had  a 
skirmish  last  week ;  thirteen  of  them  drove  back  fifty-five 
of  the  enemy,  killed  eighteen,  and  got  a  lot  of  horses,  etc^ 
One  zouave  was  killed  and  one  wounded. 


CAMP  CAYAGUA,  NEAR  HYATTSTOWN,  MD.,  1 

Aug.  25,  1861.      J 

Our  column  is  moving  towards  the  capital.  Last  Thurs- 
day the  19th  N.  Y.  Rgt.  stacked  their  arms  and  refused 
to  do  any  more  duty.  They  say  their  time  is  out  (three 
months),  but  their  Col.,  Clark,  says  they  must  serve  two 
years.  They  raised  a  row.  Our  regiment  was  ordered  to 
load  and  disperse  them.  When  we  got  there  they  took  their 
arms  again,  excepting  200,  which  we  arrested  and  brought 
into  our  camp  where  they  are  at  present  with  a  strong  guard 
around  them.  They  will  soon  be  taken  to  Washington, 
and  our  cojnpany  is,  I  believe,  to  go  with  them,  as  we  were 
the  first  on  the  ground  to  arrest  them. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  119 

As  we  camealong  the  last  day's  march,  three  of  our  men  got 
poisoned  by  going  into  houses  for  something  to  eat.  They  all 
got  well,  but  some  of  the  5th  Conn,  troops  died ;  they  came  in 
our  rear  the  same  day.  There  are  plenty  of  secesh  in  this 
country.  On  Friday  four  very  well  dressed  ladies  came 
from  the  village  to  see  us  on  dress  parade;  one  of  them 
asked  one  of  our  sergeants  if  we  were  practicing  the  Bull's 
Run  retreat.  He  did  not  have  the  chance  to  give  her  the 
answer  she  deserved  as  the  column  was  moving  away. 

RAPPAHANNOCK  STATION,  VA.,  Aug.  13,  '63. 

If  I  were  in  your  place  I  would  stay  out  of  the  army. 
If  you  had  a  few  such  trips  as  we  had  to  Gettysburg  and 
to  this  place,  you  would  be  glad  to  stay  out  of  it.  I  thought 
I  saw  hard  trips  before,  but  they  were  nothing  to  the  last 
one;  thirty-six  days  without  stopping  more  than  a  half 
day  in  one  place  except  at  battle,  and  made  from  10  to  25 
miles  a  day. 

This  morning  we  had  a  heavy  gust  of  wind  at  daylight. 
We  put  up  a  shade  and  bower  the  whole  length  of  the  com- 
pany. The  rain  made  the  ground  soft,  and  down  come  the 
whole  business,  mashing  all  our  tents.  Besides  getting  hit 
and  scratched  by  rails  and  cedar  limbs,  we  got  wet  clear 
through,  as  did  all  of  our  belongings.  Such  is  the  luck  and 
life  of  a  soldier. 


SAME  CAMP,  Aug.  16,  1863. 

The  New  York  Herald  correspondents  write  how  we  are 
treated,  etc.     That  the  drafted  men  are  made  to  strip  and 


120  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

drill  for  hours  in  the  sun,  naked,  and  drill  in  the  rain. 
Now  this  is  all  a  d — n  lie,  and  just  got  up  to  poison  the 
minds  of  the  ignorant  at  home  and  in  New  York  where 
the  draft  is  not  all  over  yet.  I  think  Seymour  and  a  lot 
of  them  ought  to  be  hung  or  done  something  with.  The 
time  has  come  when  tampering  with  the  government  should 
be  dispensed  with ;  we  have  too  much  of  it  in  the  North. 
Southern  soldiers,  our  prisoner?,  make  fun  of  us  for  allow- 
ing such  conduct,  and  say  that  they  would  net  let  men  live 
iu  the  South  that  opposed  them  as  our  men  do  our  cause. 
All  this  is  true,  and  we  feel  ashamed  of  the  way  things  are 
let  run  in  the  North.  If  the  people  there  felt  as  the  sol- 
diers do  there  would  be  short  work  made. 


BRISTOE  STATION,  VA.,  Mar.  7,  1864. 

The  great  raid  last  week  by  Gens.  Custer  and  Kilpatrick 
did  not  meet  our  anticipations.  We  have  orders  to  be 
ready  to  move  again,  but  this  is  customary  on  such  occasions. 

The  veteran  fever  has  subsided  and  all  have  gone  on  fur- 
lough; the  last  left  Sunday.  I  am  afraid  that  the  grade 
of  lieutenant  general  will  fix  matters  so  thatMeade  will  be 
superseded  by  Halleck.  Gen.  Meade  is  the  only  man  for 
the  army,  though  Gen.  Grant  may  make  great  changes  in 
the  whole  army.  I  think  congress  had  better  attend  to 
more  important  business  than  conferring  grade  on  officers. 
As  Grant  is  not  yet  through  with  the  job,  he  might  turn 
out  like  the  great  soap  bubble,  McClellan,  did.  . 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  121 

• 

J.  H.  DAWSON, 
Co.  H,  40TH  IND.  V.  I. 

CAMP  MATTISON,  PADUCAH,  KY.,  \ 
May  2,  1863.      J 

DEAR  BROTHER,  AND  ALL  THE  REST — I  have  had  com- 
mand of  the  company  for  the  last  six  weeks  and  it  keeps  me 
me  dodging  all  the  while.  Times  about  camp  have  been 
rather  exciting  for  a  day  or  two;  there  has  been  some  talk 
of  the  butternuts  attacking  us.  If  they  do,  "  woe  be  unto 
them." 

The  30th  of  April  was  fast  day,  and  the  provost  marshal 
closed  all  the  stores,  shops,  and  groceries  on  that  day.  It 
made  the  secesh  awful  mad.  That  evening  about  dark, 
the  rebs  commenced  sending  up  rockets  and  blue  lights,  a 
signal  for  something.  We  doubled  the  guard  and  put  out 
a  heavy  scout,  but  it  is  all  quiet  now.  The  double  guard 
and  patrol  are  still  out. 

Yesterday  two  gunboats  came  down  from  the  Tennessee. 
One  was  loaded  with  Union  families  running  away  from 
the  rebels,  and  the  other  was  loaded  with  genuine  but- 
ternuts, right  out  of  old  Bragg's  army.  They  will  do  to 
worship,  for  I  do  not  believe  there  is  anything  in  heaven, 
on  earth,  or  in  the  "sulphur  regions"  that  is  like  them, 
great  long-legged,  slab-sided,  long-haired,  long-nosed,  white- 
eyed,  lantern-jawed  devils,  with  their  butternut  clothes  on, 
they  look  as  though  clean  clothing  and  a  good  washing 
would  kill  them. 


122  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

LOWRY  O.  WESTCOTT. 
Co.  H.  22o  Wis.  V.  I. 

TO  HIS  PARENTS. 

LEXINGTON,  KY.,  Oct.  30,  1862. 

There  is  no  rebel  array  in  this  part  of  the  state.  The  rebel 
General  Morgan  was  here  a  few  weeks  ago,  but  he  left  with 
all  his  men;  took  a  good  supply  of  provisions  and  got  out 
of  the  state  with  but  little  trouble,  Buell  being  somewhat 
a  rebel  and  in  command ;  he  has  since  been  superseded  by 
Rosecrans. 

Some  negroes  came  to  our  ranks  and  Col.  Utley  would 
not  give  them  up  to  their  masters,  although  he  was  ordered 
by  General  Gilmore  to  do  so.  Our  Colonel's  refusal  made 
the  General  mad,  and  he  said  he  had  as  soon  have  the  devil 
in  his  brigade  as  the  22d  Wis.,  so  we  have  been  transported 
to  another  brigade  and  are  not  sorry. 


CAMP,  NEAR  FRANKLIN, 
March  8,  1863. 

Franklin  is  seventeen  miles  from  Nashville ;  we  arrived 
here  the  2d  of  this  month,  and  early  the  morning  of  the 
4th  we  crossed  Stone  river,  which  runs  through  this  place, 
and  marched  out  on  the  Lebanon  pike,  when  we  came  in 
contact  with  a  small  rebel  force.  Our  men  were  immedi- 
ately drawn  up  in  line  of  battle,  our  battery  put  in  play. 
The  rebels  fired  two  or  three  shells  pretty  close  to  our  battery, 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  12,7 

but  did  no  harm.  One  of  our  guns  disabled  one  of  theirs;, 
another  ball  killed  one  of  their  horses.  The  rebels  were 
soon  under  full  retreat.  We  advanced,  and  found  we  had 
killed  fourteen  of  their  men,  while  they  had  killed  none 
for  us.  We  camped  near  where  they  had  their  battery. 
Our  forces  were  composed  of  the  33d  and  85th  Ind.,  19th 
Mich.,  and  22d  Wis.,  our  battery  of  six  guns,  500  cavalry. 
On  the  morning  of  the  5th  we  were  re-inforced  by  one 
regiment  of  infantry,  and  forward  marched,  our  regiment 
in  advance.  We  had  not  gone  more  than  four  miles  when 
our  skirmishers  began  to  fire.  We  kept  on  until  the  rebels 
threw  a  large  shell  into  our  cavalry,  which  made  them  re- 
treat in  confusion  until  they  reached  .our  regiment.  Soon 
there  came  a  ball  over  our  heads,  hitting  the  fence  and 
throwing  the  rails  in  every  direction.  We  formed  a  line 
of  battle  across  the  field,  and  advanced  on  the  enemy;  our 
battery  was  placed  on  a  high  hill,  and  did  good  execution, 
but  the  rebels  placed  a  battery  so  they  could  rake  the  whole 
of  our  lines,  and  in  a  short  time  they  had  guns  pointing  on 
.us  from  four  different  directions.  The  ammunition  for 
our  battery  now  gave  out,  then  musketry  commenced.  The 
rebels  came  in  by  hundreds.  We  stood  our  grounds  for 
awhile,  but  they  outflanked  us,  and  our  retreat  was  almost 
cut  off.  Our  regiment  was  ordered  to  retreat,  to  give  the 
battery  chance  to  fall  back  to  town.  Our  Lieut.  Col.  took 
one  hundred  and  three  men  and  came  back  to  town  with 
the  battery,  while  the  rest  of  us  stayed  and  held  our 


124  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

ground  until  the  enemy  was  so  thick  that  we  saw  fighting 
any  longer  was  of  no  use.  The  rebs  had  outflanked  us, 
had  their  lines  clear  around  us,  excepting  about  forty  rods 
between  two  hills.  The  Col.  told  us  we  had  fought  well, 
and  he  thought  we  would  be  taken  prisoners,  but  those 
who  wished  to  make  a  trial  to  escape  could  do  so.  Fifty 
of  us  started,  leaving  our  colonel  and  comrades  on  the 
field.  We  traveled  some  fifteen  miles  over  rough  roads, 
and  at  eight  o'clock  at  night  we  reached  Franklin,  sound 
and  well.  Two  of  our  little  party  gave  out,  and  we  left 
them  a  couple  of  miles  from  town.  I  saw  some  of  our 
boys  fall  on  the  field,  but  do  not  know  how  many  were 
killed.  Two  companies  of  our  regiment  were  left  to  guard 
a  bridge  between  here  and  Nashville,  and  were  not  in  the 
fight.  Our  regiment  lost,  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners, 
two  hundred.  Joseph  Wright,  my  messmate,  was  taken 
prisoner. 

STONE  RIVER  BRIDGE,  TESTN.,  Dec.  27,  '63. 
Deserters  are  coming  in  from  Bragg's  army  every  day. 
They  say  the  rebs  are  about  played  out;  one  of  them,  a 
rebel  deserter,  was  looking  at  one  of  our  guns  a  short  time 
since,  and  said  to  the  gunner,  "You  will  not  need  that 
gun."  The  gunner  asked,  "Why  not?"  "Why,"  said 
he,  '  you  Yanks  are  getting  the  rebs  in  so  small  a  spot, 
that  if  you  shoot  that  gun  at  them  the  ball  will  go  across 
their  narrow  tract  of  land  and  kill  your  own  men  on  the 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  125 

other  side."  This  is  pretty  near  the  truth.  We  have 
a  large  army  in  every  state;  the  rebels  are  hemmed  in  on 
every  side,  and  I  think  they  will  be  glad  to  say  enough^ 
before  long.  Still,  the  guerillas  are  doing  some  very  cruel 
work  yet.  Two  boys  of  our  regiment  were  detailed  to  go- 
in  the  9th  Ohio  Battery;  they  were  thirty  miles  from  here, 
at  Tulahoma.  One  day  last  week  they  were  out  on  a  for- 
age expedition  with  a  lieutenant  and  two  other  privates. 
All  five  were  taken  by  a  band  of  guerillas  and  marched 
some  thirty  miles  to  a  large  river;  then  their  hands  were 
tied  behind  them  and  they  were  thrown  from  a  high  bridge 
into  the  water.  The  two  from  our  regiment  and  the  lieu- 
tenant were  drowned,  the  other  two  swam  ashore  and  went 
back  to  Tullahoma.  One  of  the  men  was  from  our  com- 
pany, and  had  a  wife  and  family  in  Wisconsin.  His  name 
was  Drout. 


NASHVILLE,  TENN.,  HOSPITAL  No.  1,  \ 
June  22,  1864.      f 

The  boys  of  our  regiment  were  in  the  best  of  spirits  when 
I  last  saw  them,  although  they  had  just  buried  some  of  their 
best  comrades.  I  think  we  have  a  noble  army  in  frontr 
one  that  can  be  depended  on,  that  will  shrink  from  nothing. 
I  believe  the  men  are  more  determined  on  success  than 
they  ever  were  before.  While  our  army  is  in  the  highest 
of  glee,  the  rebel  army  seems  to  be  very  desponding.  I 
have  talked  with  a  great  many  rebs.  that  were  prisoners. 


126  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

and  I  have  asked  them  if  they  expected  to  whip  us.  Every 
one  would  say,  "  No,  we  don't  expect  to  whip  you."  When 
I  would  ask,  "What  induces  you  to  fight,  then?"  some 
would  reply,  "  We  are  obliged  to  fight."  Others  would 
say,  "  We  are  in  hopes  we  can  hold  out  until  you  are  tired 
of  war,  and  let  us  have  our  southern  territory  to  ourselves." 
I  talked  with  a  rebel  sergeant,  who  said  the  Union  officers 
showed  no  generalship  when  we  drove  them  out  of  Buz- 
zard's Roost,  Dalton,  and  Resaca.  I  asked  why  they  did 
not;  I  thought  they  showed  enough  to  drive  you.  "Well," 
he  replied,  "they  did  not  drive  us  by  coming  up  in  our 
front;  but  they  outflanked  us  and  came  in  our  rear,  they 
•came  in  on  all  sides,  and  we  were  obliged  to  retreat."  I 
said,  "I  think  our  officers  showed  good  generalship  in 
driving  you  out  of  your  stronghold  by  flanking,  and  not 
by  losing  lives,"  but  the  reb.  couldn't  see  it  that  way. 


NASHVILLE,  Dec.  25,  1864. 

Since  I  wrote  to  you  last  there  has  been  a  great  change 
in  the  army  of  Tennessee.  Then  the  rebel  army  was  within 
two  miles  of  this  city,  on  the  south  side,  strongly  en- 
trenched. Where  is  it  now  ?  In  the  southern  part  of  the 
state,  going  south  as  fast  as  possible.  On  the  17th  and 
18th  of  this  mouth  a  hard  battle  was  fought  in  sight  of  the 
hospital,  and  our  boys  drove  the  rebs.  at  every  point.  That 
large  army  commanded  by  Hood  has  lost  20,000  men  and 
75  cannon  within  the  last  three  weeks,  and  now  what  is 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  127 

left  of  them  are  leaving  the  state  as  fast  as  possible,  per- 
fectly satisfied  that  the  Yanks,  have  given  them  a  sound 
whipping,  and  they  have  found  by  experience  that  they 
cannot  take  Nashville.  Now  I  have  no  doubt  that  Hood 
"  has  got  Thomas  just  where  he  wants  him."  This  is  what 
the  Southern  papers  will  say,  at  least. 

I  am  at  work  in  the  low  diet  kitchen,  but  am  feeding 
rebs.  instead  of  Union  soldiers.  All  of  our  boys  that  were 
in  this  building  have  been  moved  into  another  hospital, 
and  wounded  rebels  have  taken  their  place.  I  am  going  to 
try  and  feed  them  as  well  as  they  fed  me  when  I  was  in 
their  hands  a  prisoner.  Think  I  can  do  it  right  up  to  the 
scratch.  We  have  two  generals,  five  colonels,  and  quite  a 
number  of  subordinate  officers  in  this  building. 


IN  CAMP  NEAR  SE'DALIA,  Mo.,  \ 
Sept.  11, 1862.      / 

FATHER  PEARSON — Our  regiment,  or  what  is  left  of  it, 
with  the  exception  of  one  company  stationed  at  Leaven- 
worth,  has  been  here  since  Aug.  24.  This  is  the  starting 
point  for  all  the  troops  destined  for  the  south-west.  We  are 
here  partly  to  recruit  and  to  obtain  a  fresh  supply  of  horses, 
our  regiment  having  been  badly  cut  up.  When  we  left  Boon- 
ville  in  the  spring  it  was  the  largest  in  the  state,  numbering 
1,200,  but  from  the  hard  service  we  have  seen  we  have  be- 
come sadly  reduced,  both  in  men  and  horses.  Two  com- 
panies were  lost  entirely  at  the  surrender  of  Independence, 


128  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

and  some  companies  have  been  reduced  to  less  than  40  men. 
From  all  indications  I  think  we  are  to  join  the  main  army 
of  Missouri  that  is  concentrating  at  Springfield. 

Quantrill  is  reported  in  the  vicinity  of  Warrensburg,  40 
miles  distant,  with  a  force  of  1,000  men.  A  detachment 
from  this  post  was  sent  out  yesterday,  all  the  men  and 
serviceable  horses  that  could  be  spared  from  our  regiment 
going. 

If  all  the  accounts  we  receive  of  the  battles  fought  dur- 
ing this  war  is  as  incorrect  as  those  given  of  Lone  Jack, 
there  is  no  more  faith  to  be  placed  in  newspaper  reports. 
It  seems  to  be  an  easy  matter  for  some  officers  to  make  an 
exaggerated  report  of  how  they  or  some  particular  friend 
distinguished  themselves  in  battle,  when,  if  the  facts  were 
known,  they  were  safely  out  of  harm's  way,  perhaps  not 
seen  by  their  men  during  the  whole  fight.  I  could  mention 
instances  of  this  kind  that  occurred  at  Lone  Jack.  This 
much  I  will  say,  there  has  been  no  harder  fighting  in  this 
state,  and  none  that  has  resulted  in  so  great  a  loss  in  killed 
and  wounded  in  comparison  to  the  number  engaged.  There 
was  very  bad  generalship  displayed  from  the  first.  Our 
men  were  led  into  a  pen  like  so  many  sheep  to  the  slaughter, 
a  hedge  on  one  side  and  cornfield  on  the  other,  and  being 
attacked  on  three  sides  at  the  same  time  and  by  such  a 
superior  force,  it  is  a  wonder  that  any  escaped.  During 
half  the  engagement  there  was  not  an  officer  to  be  seen  ex- 
cept one  or  two  lieutenants.  The  men  were  mostly  led  OQ 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  129 

by  non-commissioned  officers,  and  many  squads  were  seen 
fighting  without  any  commander  whatever.  Getting  out 
of  ammunition,  we  were  obliged  to  retreat  leaving  our  dead 
and  wounded  on  the  field,  but  the  fire  of  the  enemy  had 
been  silenced  for  half  an  hour. 

Affairs  are  looking  rather  gloomy  at  present,  and  judg- 
ing from  the  past  we  may  hope  for  no  success  until  there 
shall  be  less  jealousy  and  strife  among  our  commanding 
officers.  I  sometimes  think  we  have  not  yet  found  the  man 
for  the  times  to  take  command  of  our  army,  and  I  am  anx- 
iously looking  forward  when  there  shall  arise  from  obscurity 
a  Bonaparte  or  a  Cromwell  that  will  command  our  forces 
and  lead  them  on  to  victory. 

Yours  truly, 

GEOEGE  P.  BROWN, 
1st  Sergt.  Co.  F,  7th  Mo.  Cav. 


VICKSBURG,  Miss.,  July  31,  1863. 
MY  DEAR  MADAM — My  friend  Arba,  your  dearly 
loved  husband,  has  fought  his  last  fight,  and  sleeps  his  last 
sleep.  I  came  up  from  Natchez  yesterday  to  look  to  the 
comfort  of  our  sick  men  at  this  place,  and  inform  some  of 
them  that  I  had  at  last  got  furloughs  for  them ;  but  Arba 
had  just  received  from  higher  authority  a  more  perpetual 
furlough  than  man  can  give,  and  has,  I  trust,  gone  where 
trouble  never  enters.  He  died  about  four  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  July  28th.  His  remains  were  carefully  in- 
10 


130  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

terred  by  his  brother  soldiers,  under  the  kind  supervision 
of  Sergt.  Dwight  Gookins,  of  Co.  G,  who  was  with  him 
much  during  his  illness.  He  was  one  of  our  very  best  sol- 
diers, ever  cheerfully  and  promptly  performing  his  duties. 
No  complaints  ever  came  from  Arba  Lankton.  We  all 
loved  him,  and  it  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  us,  as  it  will  be 
to  you,  that  his  soul  was  supported  by  strong  Christian 
faith  and  fortitude.  During  his  illness  he  often  spoke  in 
endearing  terms  of  his  wife  and  children.  All  things  pass 
away,  and  in  a  few  days  you  and  I  will  follow.  So  cheer 
up,  my  dear  woman,  remembering  that  your  husband  is  in 
heaven,  that  there  is  a  God  there  who  cares  for  the  widow 
and  fatherless.  Let  Him  ever  find  us  in  a  spirit  of  sub- 
mission, that  His  will,  not  ours,  be  done ;  that  when  He 
calls  we  may  be  ready  to  enter  the  Kingdom. 

T.  "W.  HUMPHREY, 
Col.  95th  III.  V.  I. 


SAVANNAH,  GA.,  Dec.  25,  1864. 

I  wish  you  a  "  Merry  Christmas  "  this  morning,  and  hope 
you  will  enjoy  yourself  better  than  I  am  likely  to  do.  I 
have  just  come  in  off  the  picket  line,  and  am  not  in  the 
best  humor,  and  thought  I  would  sit  down  and  write  my- 
self good  natured.  You  will  see  by  my  heading  that  the 
great  city  of  Savannah  is  ours.  Yes,  on  the  21st  we 
marched  in,  the  rebels  having  got  across  the  river  in  the 
night  and  left,  leaving  in  our  hands  everything  they  had 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  131 

here.  We  have  made  the  biggest  capture  of  the  war ;  got 
227  pieces  of  heavy  and  light  artillery,  most  of  it  very 
heavy;  one  million  bales  of  cotton,  worth  at  least  five  mil- 
lion dollars;  a  large  amount  of  military  stores,  forty  lo- 
comotives, and  more  than  100  cars,  all  in  good  running 
order;  and  the  prettiest  city  I  most  ever  saw,  beautifully 
laid  out,  with  fine  residences,  public  squares,  monuments, 
and  fountains,  and  we  also  got  five  steamboats.  The 
rebels  blew  up  their  "  Sam  Savannah;"  all  they  got  away 
with  was  their  hides,  and  they  had  to  hustle  them  or  they 
would  have  been  full  of  holes. 

I  have  been  all  over  the  city,  and  its  defenses  are  the 
most  formidable,  all  around  the  place.  I  also  went  to  Fort 
Jackson,  four  miles  below.  There  was  a  strong  work  de- 
fending the  river;  they  are  all  ours  now,  and  we  are 
encamped  near  the  city,  enjoying  ourselves  and  speculating 
on  the  next  campaign.  We  were  reviewed  by  Gen.  Sher- 
man yesterday,  and  the  citizens  were  astonished  to  see  so 
many  Yankees  marching  through  the  streets  of  Savannah. 
The  boys  are  all  well  and  as  happy  as  clams.  This  is  a 
fine  climate;  everything  is  green  yet;  all  kinds  of  garden 
stuff,  fish,  and  oysters  plenty  at  ten  cents  per  quart.  I 
would  like  to  drop  in  and  see  you  to-day,  and  help  eat  a 
good  Christmas  dinner  instead  of  the  poor  one  we  will 
have.  I  don't  think  our  mess  has  been  as  hard  up  for 
grub  any  time  on  this  campaign  as  it  is  to-day.  John,  our 
cook,  says  dinner  is  ready,  so  good-bye.  Write  oftener,  as 


132  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

you  are  my  one  thought,  the  only  person  I  care  to  hear 
from. 

A.  N.  WATSON, 
To  his  wife.  62d  Itt.    Vol. 


AN  EXTRACT  FROM  "LETTERS  FROM  THE 
ARMY." 

(By  permission  of  the  author,  B.  F.  Stevenson,  M.D.,  Surgeon  to  the 
22d  Ky.  Infl.) 

STEAMBOAT  PIKETON,          \ 
BIG  SANDY  RIVER,  Feb.  3,  '62.  j 

Cols.  Garfield  and  Lindsey  are  on  board.  The  former 
is  the  ranking  officer  and  commander  of  all  the  forces  in 
this  region.  He  is  a  plain,  unpretending  looking  man, 
but,  I  take  it,  a  very  determined  one.  He  is  young  for 
his  responsible  position,  being  only  thirty-two  years  old. 
I  received  to-day  the  Cincinnati  Gazette  of  the  30th  inst., 
containing  a  silly  article  on  Garfield.  I  read  it  to  those 
around  me,  and  one  of  them,  a  member  of  his  regiment, 
told  him  of  it,  when  he  called  on  me  and  asked  to  see  the 
paper.  He  took  it  quietly,  but  I  thought  him  some  an- 
noyed. I  was  glad  of  the  opportunity  to  make  his  acquaint- 
ance. A  little  incident  that  occurred  at  Cattlesburg  during 
the  recent  rise  of  the  Ohio  river  is  characteristic  of  the  man. 
He  reached  the  town  just  as  the  wharf  was  being  sub- 
merged, and  was  met  by  the  clerk  of  the  brigade  commis- 
sary with  the  information  that  a  large  amount  of  govern- 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  133 

ment  stores  was  in  danger  of  being  swept  off  by  the  flood. 
Without  sending  others,  he  led  the  way,  and  toiled  till 
midnight,  knee-deep  in  mud  and  water,  to  save  them,  and 
he  did  save  them.  The  clerk,  a  nice,  dapper  young  man, 
son  of  the  commissary  who  was  responsible  for  the  stores, 
stepped  around  in  embroidered  slippers  in  his  father's  office, 
and  neglected  everything.  *  *  *  I  must  not  close 
without  saying  a  word  of  Col.  Lindsey.  He  is  quite  young ; 
I  think  not  over  twenty-five  years  old.  He  is  a  graduate 
of  the  Kentucky  Military  School,  a  good  tactician,  and  cer- 
tainly the  most  modest  and  unassuming  man  of  his  age 
that  I  have  known. 


CAMP  JERSEY  BOYS,  Nov.  21,  1861. 

Being  old  friends  I  imagine  you  would  like  to  hear  from 
one  Snover,  and  at  the  same  time  I  assure  you  that  I  would 
like  to  hear  from  the  old  home  place.  Give  my  love  to 
Doyle;  ask  him  if  he  remembers  the  time  we  went  fishing 
and  our  sleigh  ride  with  oxen.  How  often  our  thoughts 
wander  back  to  the  scenes  of  our  childhood  and  its  many 
happy  transactions. 

How  is  election  going  this  season?  John,  try  to  do  the 
big  thing  for  the  Union.  What  a  change  from  last  year 
at  this  time !  All  was  peace  and  quiet  then,  now  all  is 
war  and  fright.  Many  a  brave  soldier  was  a  happy  man 
then,  and  many  a  one  is  now  mouldering  in  the  dust. 


134  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

Many  families  have  been  widowed  and  orphaned.     When 
will  this  war  end  and  peace  be  proclaimed? 

I  am  a  soldier  in  old  Virginia,  working  for  Uncle  Sam. 
He  is  a  pretty  good  man  to  work  for;  he  gives  us  pretty 
good  grub  and  clothes,  and  comes  down  with  the  ready 
cash  every  two  months.  I  put  my  name  on  his  books  the 
25th  of  last  May  to  fight  for  my  country  and  the  flag  I  love 
— how  much  I  can't  say.  We  must  uphold  that  flag,  you 
know,  John. 

We  had  a  grand  review  yesterday  by  President  Lincoln 
and  General  McClellan  and  staff  at  Bailey's  cross-roads. 
There  were  over  10,000  troops  on  the  ground — said  to  be 
one  of  the  biggest  reviews  on  record.  We  are  camped  at 
the  present  on  what  is  called  Shooter's  Hill.  Have  a  nice 
encampment,  and  a  splendid  view  of  the  Potomac  river 
and  the  beautiful  village,  Alexandria,  where  the  first  officer 
was  killed — Ellsworth.  He  was  a  bold  man,  and  his  name 
will  long  be  remembered.  Alexandria  is  full  of  secession- 
ists yet.  It  was  one  of  the  most  flourishing  towns  on  the 
Potomac  till  this  war  broke  out. 

Your  friend, 

EDWIN  H.  SNOVER, 
Co.  B,  %d  Regt.  N.  J.  Vols. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  135 


TO  WEALTHY  LIBBY,  FROM  HER  SONS  GEO. 
AND  WILLIAM. 

ROLLA,  Mo.,  Oct.  29,  1862. 

DEAR  MOTHER — I  was  taken  by  the  bushwhackers  on 
the  8th  of  Oct.  They  robbed  me  of  everything  I  had.  I 
got  away  from  them  into  the  woods  and  made  my  way  back 
to  Rolla,  where  I  am  at  present.  I  had  to  walk  60  miles 
through  the  timber.  The  rebels  said  they  would  kill  me, 
so  I  thought  it  would  be  the  best  for  me  to  get  away  if  I 
could. 

We  have  seen  a  rough  time  here  in  Missouri,  for  our 
men  have  taken  Little  Rock  and  driven  all  the  rebels  into 
this  state. 

GEORGE. 


NASHVILLE,  TENN.,  Dec.  7,  1864. 

There  is  some  hard  fighting  going  on  down,  here  now. 
Our  army  is  in  Nashville  and  old  Hood  is  trying  to  take 
the  place;  he  has  been  shelling  us  for  two  days  but  can't 
do  any  damage.  Hard  fighting  to-day  on  the  south  side 
of  the  city.  I  can  hear  the  roar  of  artillery  and  see  the 
smoke.  After  this  fight  is  over  I  will  write  again. 

WILLIAM. 


136  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

NASHVILLE,  TENN.,  Dec.  25,  '64. 

Well,  mother,  1  suspect  you  feel  pretty  uneasy  about  me 
since  our  big  fight.  As  good  luck  happened,  I  did  not 
have  to  go  into  the  battle  but  was  where  I  could  see  it. 
I  tell  you  what,  the  earth  quaked  around  here.  Hood 
thought  he  was  going  to  take  Nashville  very  easily;  he 
soon  got  his  fill,  for  he  was  whipped  worse  than  he  ever 
was  before.  He  is  in  full  retreat  back  South  and  our 
army  is  following  him  closely.  He  will  have  to  "hustle 
his  boots  "  to  get  across  the  Tennessee  river  or  he  will  lose 
more  of  his  men. 

I  would  like  to  be  at  home  to  spend  Christmas  with  you ; 
think  I  could  eat  some  good  things  very  well,  but  will  have 
to  stay  one  more  Christmas  in  Dixie  and  the  next  will  be 
at  home.  WILT  JAM  LIBBY. 


CAMP  HOUSTON,  Jan.  8,  1864. 

I  went  to  Holla  on  Christmas,  got  half  way  back  on 
New  Year's  day.  It  commenced  snowing  the  day  before 
New  Year,  and  I  never  came  so  near  freezing  to  death  in 
my  life.  Twenty-five  of  us  were  guarding  the  train  and 
only  five  of  us  got  back  without  having  our  fingers  or  feet 
frozen.  About  half  of  the  teamsters  were  frozen;  some  of 
them  had  to  have  their  feet  amputated.  If  it  keeps  as  cold 
long  it  will  freeze  the  bushwhackers  all  to  death,  which  will 
be  a  good  thing  for  us,  as  it  will  save  powder,  horse-flesh, 
human  flesh,  etc.  GEORGE. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  137 

CAMP  HOUSTON,  Mo.,  Feb.  1, 1864. 
MY  DEAR  MOTHER — You  said  that  Nels  wanted  to  go 
to  the  army.  He  had  better  be  what  he  is,  a  brakeman 
on  the  train,  than  a  soldier  in  the  army.  If  I  were  out  of 
it  I  know  what  kind  of  "  breaking  "  I  would  do — I  would 
break  towards  home  on  double-quick  time.  I  could  cry 
many  a  time  if  it  would  do  me  any  good.  I  know  it  won't, 
so  I  try  always  to  keep  the  best  side  up  if  I  can. 

GEORGE. 


SPRINGFIELD,  Mo.,  Nov.  1,  1864. 
It  is  just  one  month  to-day  since  we  started  for  the 
battlefield.  We  have  had  seven  battles,  and  have  won  a 
glorious  victory.  Have  captured  all  of  Price's  army ;  took 
13  cannon,  7  generals,  and  more  prisoners  than  we  know 
what  to  do  with.  We  heard  cannonading  all  last  night, 
and  Price  is  reported  captured.  We  have  orders  to  go  to 
Arkansas.  We  are  camped  in  the  woods;  raining  very 
hard,  and  I  am  as  wet  as  a  drowned  rat. 

GEORGE  LIBBY. 
Of  the  Mo.  State  Militia. 


138  FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY. 

A.  E.  GOLDSBURG, 
Co.  E.,  127TH  ILL.  V.  I. 

IN  CAMP  NEAR  MEMPHIS,  TENN.,  Dec.  15,  1862. 
DEAR  FRIEND  LOUISA — We  arrived  here  the  13th,  after 
a  long  march  of  175  miles,  and  I,  for  one,  was  glad  to  get 
to  a  resting  place.  Part  of  the  time  we  had  to  live  on  one 
hard  cracker  a  day — five  of  them  weigh  a  pound.  I  en- 
joyed the  trip  though,  and  would  rather  march  all  the  time 
than  stay  in  camp;  that  is,  if  Uncle,  Sam  would  find  plenty 
of  grub  for  us.  We  were  once  within  six  miles  of  Gen. 
Price's  army  and  the  5th  111.  Light  Artillery  attacked  them. 
There  would,  most  likely,  have  been  a  hard  fight  if  Grant 
had  not  moved  towards  them  from  the  rear.  We  laid  on 
our  arms  all  one  night  and  day;  could  hear  the  booming 
of  cannon,  but  Price  was  most  too  sharp  to  be  surrounded,  so 
ran,  thanks  to  our  lucky  stars.  That  is  his  best  way  of 
fighting.  The  next  day  we  came  up  where  they  had  been 
intrenched  two  miles  south  of  the  Tallahatchie,  opposite 
the  town  of  Wyatt.  "When  they  retreated,  they  burned 
the  bridges — we  had  to  build  one.  Our  division  marched  to 
this  place  to  take  the  river  for  Vicksburg. 


CHICK  AS  AW  LANDING,  May  25,  1863. 
Vicksburg  is  not  taken  yet,  though  it  has  been  so  re- 
ported.    Our  regiment  had  been  doing  pioneer  work  for 
some  time,  and  we  thought  we  should  get  rid  of  the  fight 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  139* 

that  was  coming  off,  but  were  doomed  to  disappointment.. 
The  brigade  came  along,  and  we  were  ordered  to  fall  in  on 
a  two  hours'  notice.  We  saw  no  enemy  until  within  three 
miles  of  Vicksburg;  found  them  well  entrenched.  Gen. 
Grant  ordered  us  to  march  into  the  city  without  firing  a 
gun. 

At  2  P.M.  our  division  was  ordered  to  make  a  charge, 
and  precisely  at  the  time  we  moved  up  in  solid  column. 
Their  fortifications  are  built  on  a  chain  or  range  of  the 
highest  hills,  2f  miles  in  the  rear  of  Vicksburg.  One-half- 
mile  apart  are  the  forts  with  breastworks  between.  In 
front  are  logs  and  brush  almost  impassable.  When  we 
came  over  the  rise  of  ground  in  front,  they  poured  an  aw- 
ful fire  of  grape,  canister,  and  musketry  into  us  that  no- 
thing could  stand.  Not  a  man  reached  the  works. 

The  battle  raged  till  night,  when  we  fell  back  with  a. 
heavy  loss,  our  regiment  losing  47.  This  was  on  the  19th. 
On  the  21st  there  was  a  call  for  1,500  volunteers  from  our 
division  to  storm  the  works,  and  to  be  supported  by  Gen. 
Tuttle's  division.  Our  camp  had  to  give  one  man  for  the 
charge;  no  one  would  offer  to  go,  so  they  proposed  to  draw 
lots.  I  thought  I  would  have  to  go  in  an  after  charge  so 
I  offered  my  service.  1,500  of  us  started  right  in  the  face 
of  death.  There  was  a  cleared  spot  where  there  had  once 
been  a  road,  we  took  that.  They  poured  grape  and  canis- 
ter right  into  us.  When  we  reached  the  fort  only  40  of 
our  men  were  left.  It  was  impossible  to  take  the  fort;: 


140  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

they  stood  six  men  deep  behind  it  with  fixed  bayonets 
ready  for  us;  we  had  to  fall  back  and  lay  in  the  ditch  and 

. 

behind  logs  until  dark.  Gen.  Blair  said  every  man  that 
did  not  fall  should  have  a  furlough  of  60  days  after  Vicks- 
burg  is  taken,  so  you  may  look  for  me  home  the  4th  of 
July. 


SAVANNAH,  GA.,  Jan.  25,  1865. 

We  came  in  on  the  1 9th,  and  expected  to  cross  the  Sa- 
vannah river,  but  owing  to  bad  weather  and  some  levees 
that  were  cut  by  the  rebels  so  the  country  was  overflowed, 
we  were  obliged  to  camp  till  some  other  road  was  opened. 
We  are  just  outside  the  city.  I  think  it  is  the  prettiest 
place  we  have  been  in ;  business  is  quite  brisk  among  the  citi- 
zens; many  of  the  merchants  are  filling  up  their  stores 
with  goods  from  the  North,  and  all  are  glad  the  Yankees 
have  come. 

I  am  getting  like  the  rest  of  the  boys,  would  rather  be 
on  the  move.  Major  Gillette  is  chief  of  Gen.  Logan's 
staff,  and  is  the  biggest  man  in  the  business  at  present. 
From  here  we  shall  push  north,  the  way  many  a  soldier's 
heart  is  turning. 


FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY.  141 


CYRUS  L,  BUFFINGTON. 

LITTLE  PINEY  RIVER  BRIDGE,  1 
April  20,  1865.      f 

BELOVED  BROTHER — After  a  long,  long  time  I  have 
found  out  your  address,  and  I  embrace  the  first  opportunity 
of  writing  to  you. 

Had  you  asked  me  if  I  should  have  liked  to  have  been 
with  you  on  your  march  through  that  darkest  of  all  seces- 
sion states — South  Carolina — I  could  very  soon  have  an- 
swered you  with  an  emphatic  yes,  for  I  have  a  deep  grudge 
against  that  particular  state,  more  than  any  other.  My 
suiferings  in  the  prison  pens  there,  being  chased  by  blood- 
hounds like  a  runaway  negro,  and  seeing  my  comrades 
shot  down  in  cold  blood  for  no  offence  whatever,  are  things 
not  calculated  to  soften  my  feelings  towards  it.  I  have 
trod  the  streets  of  Columbia  when  it  was  in  its  pride,  and 
when  the  Johnnies  were  plenty  there.  I  would  rejoice  to 
see  it  now  as  it  is — a  heap  of  ashes. 

I  was  captured,  as  you  have  heard,  no  doubt,  at  the  bat- 
tle of  Chicamauga,  and  was  taken*  by  way  of  Atlanta  and 
Augusta,  Ga.,  Columbia,  S.  C.,  Raleigh,  N.  C.,  "on  to 
Richmond,"  Va.  We  were  kept  here  on  very  slim  rations 
of  the  very  poorest  kind  for  more  than  two  months,  dur- 
ing which  time  we  were  never  allowed  outside  of  the  to- 
bacco house  where  we  were  confined — not  even  permitted 
to  put  our  heads  out  of  the  windows — excepting  the  squads 


142  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

that  went  to  draw  our  grub.  From  Richmond  we  were 
sent  to  Danville,  and  our  condition  was  made  worse  in- 
stead of  better.  After  staying  at  Danville  two  months  I 
concluded  to  leave  them,  made  my  escape,  and  succeeded 
in  making  my  way  north  as  far  as  the  foot  of  the  Alle- 
ghany  mountains,  where  I  was  recaptured,  taken  to  the 
neare-t  railroad  station  for  the  purpose  of  being  sent  back 
to  Richmond.  Was  put  on  the  cars  with  a  guard  and  sent 
to  Liberty,  where  I  stopped  one  day  and  night.  Then  I 
was  sent  to  Lynchburg,  where  I  fell  in  with  six  of  our 
own  men,  who  had  been  recaptured,  like  myself.  Here 
we  were  crowded  into  the  guard-house  with  a  lot  of  their 
•own  deserters  and  kept  for  three  days,  when  they  took  the 
whole  of  us,  with  an  equal  number  of  guards  and  a  sergeant 
in  charge,  and  put  us  aboard  the  cars  bound  for  Richmond. 
We  started  near  dusk,  and  after  it  was  sufficiently  dark  I 
watched  for  my  chance  and  jumped  the  cars,  without  so 
•much  as  bidding  Mr.  Johnnies  good-bye.  I  was  doomed 
to  be  disappointed  again,  for  I  was  captured  by  some 
Georgia  soldiers  in  what  is  called  Richerson's  Gap,  in  the 
Blue  Ridge  mountains'.  This  time  I  was  taken  to  Rich- 
mond, but  as  the  rebels  about  this  time  were  sending  the 
prisoners  down  into  Georgia  I  only  had  to  stay  there  a 
couple  of  days  this  time.  I  escaped  again  in  North  Caro- 
lina, was  at  Smithfield,  twenty- five  miles  down  the  Neuse 
river,  not  very  far  from  where  you  are  now.  Was  at 
Haleigh,  escaped  twice,  was  once  tracked  by  blood-hounds, 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  143 

and  once  betrayed  by  negroes.  I  was  in  the  stockade 
at  Florence,  was  finally  exchanged,  after  being  inside 
the  rebel  lines  fourteen  months  and  a  half,  was  put  on 
board  one  of  our  steamships  at  Charleston  and  sent  to  An- 
napolis, Md.,  where,  as  soon  as  I  was  able,  a  thirty  days' 
furlough  was  given  me,  and  I  went  home.  When  my 
furlough  expired  I  went  to  Columbus,  O.,  and  received 
my  discharge,  bounty,  and  wages  all  correct.  I  went  home 
again,  but  could  not  content  myself  there,  so  in  just  two 
weeks  after  being  discharged  I  reinlisted  in  the  189th  O. 
V.  I.  Our  regiment  is  scattered  along  the.  Charleston  and 
Memphis  railroad  guarding  bridges.  Our  company  is 
twenty-miles  west  of  Huntersville. 

My  respects  to  the  boys. 

P.  S. — I  say,  revenge  for  the  death  of  our  beloved 
president 


144  FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY. 

HARRY  BURNS. 
Co.  K,  14TH  PA.  CAV. 

TO  HIS  PARENTS. 

WINCHESTER,  VA.,  Dec.  2,  1864. 
DEAR  FATHER — I  take  this  opportunity  of  letting  you 
know  where  I  have  landed.  Last  Saturday  we  left  camp, 
rode  half  the  night  and  stopped  at  Charleston,  Va.  Sun- 
day we  rode  on  to  Berry  ville,  had  a  skirmish  with  Mosby's 
men  and  went  on  to  Winchester,  camped  on  Monday  five 
miles  from  there.  Tuesday  went  to  Royal  on  a  scout, 
came  back  the  next  day.  We  had  just  got  into  camp  and 
taken  off  our  saddles  when  the  bugle  called :  "  Boots  and 
saddles/'  or  "  saddle  up."  We  went  on  a  scout  that  night 
and  scoured  the  country  for  Mosby,  but  no  Mosby  to  be 
found.  Rode  all  the  next  day,  and  just  got  into  camp 
this  evening.  I  am  dreadful  sleepy. 


WINCHESTER,  Dec.  14,  1864. 

Just  got  in  this  evening.  Everything  quiet  in  this  army, 
only  Mosby  captures  the  pickets  once  in  awnile.  We  are 
on  duty  every  day  now — cavalry  gets  no  rest  at  all.  Our 
brigade  consists  of  four  regiments — 22d  Md.  cavalry,  14th 
Pa.,  8th  O.,  and  21st  N.  Y.  We  expect  pay  next  week. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  145 

You  will  have  to  excuse  me  for  not  writing  more,  as  I 
have  to  go  on  a  scout  this  morning.  Please  send  me  a 
quarter  to  buy  stamps. 


PEMBERTON  PRISON,  NEAR  LIBBY,  \ 
RICHMOND,  VA.,  Dec.  23,  '64.      / 

DEAR  FATHER — I  was  captured  on  the  17th  of  this 
month.  I  have  hardly  any  clothes,  and  am  awful  hard 
up.  Please  send  me  the  confederate  money  I  sent  you — 
not  greenbacks. 


11 


146  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 

ALFRED  W.  MURRAY, 
OED.  SERGT.  Co.  H,  14TH  PA.  CAV. 

CAMP  AVERIL,  1 

NEAR  WINCHESTER,  VA.,  Feb.  6,  1865.      j 

MR.  JOHN  BURNS — I  am  in  receipt  of  yours  of  the  1st 
of  February,  desiring  information  of  your  son.  He  was 
taken  prisoner  by  a  squad  of  some  400  men  belonging  to 
rebel  Gen.  Lomax  and  Col.  Mosby's  command,  on  the  17th 
day  of  December.  A  scout  of  100  men  was  sent  out  from 
the  regiment  and  were  ambushed  by  the  enemy,  when  only 
a  few  miles  from  camp.  A  sharp  engagement  ensued,  re- 
sulting in  our  defeat,  with  casualties  as  follows:  Seven- 
teen killed,  a  number  wounded,  and  fifty  taken  prisoners. 
Your  son  Harry  was  seen  after  crossing  the  Shenandoah 
river  by  men  belonging  to  his  company,  who  were  wounded, 
paroled,  and  sent  back  to  our  lines.  The  2d  lieutenant  of 
company  H  was  also  a  prisoner,  with  several  privates,  so 
Harry  was  not  the  only  sufferer  in  the  sad  disaster.  I  am 
very  sorry  to  have  to  give  you  this  sad  information,  but 
duty  compels  me  to.  I  sympathize  with  you  in  your 
grief,  and  am  glad  it  is  no  worse,  as  was  the  case  with 
some  of  his  comrades.  They  are  exchanging  prisoners 
very  rapidly,  and  I  hope  to  see  Harry  again  soon.  He 
was  a  good  soldier  and  always  did  his  duty,  and  is  greatly 
missed  among  his  companions. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  147 

Mr.  Burns,  who  was  then  fifteen  years  of  age,  says  of 
the  capture :  "  I  was  barefooted,  and  we  traveled  three 
days  and  nights — cold  nights — without  a  bite  to  eat,  as  a 
preparation  for  the  starvation  we  were  to  get  in  Richmond." 


I.  I.  S. 

FOUNTAIN  HEAD,  TENN.,  Jan.  29,  '63. 
DEAR  FRIEND  LEW — I  now  set  down  to  let  you  know 
what  I  am  a  doing.  I  hav  wrote  you  three  letters,  but  the 
railroad  has  been  broke,  and  I  guess  you  never  got  them. 
If  you  had  you  wood  rote  to  me.  It  is  quite  cold  this 
morning;  your  father  is  well,  and  he  is  in  charge  of  three 
companys — Co.  H,  G,  F,  at  the  water  tank  at  Buck  lodge. 
Bob  is  cooking  for  Col.  Case  and  himself;  the  negroes  has 
all  gone  from  head- quarters.  Lew,  I  wood  like  to  see  you 
very  mutch;  i  suppos  that  you  have  heard  that  John  has 
gone  home,  and  i  am  glad  of  it,  for  he  is  a  bad  boy;  he 
stole  about  $51  worth  of  checks  from  the  sutler,  and  one 
of  them  bugles  that  the  officers  has  on  thair  caps.  I  think 
that  is  getting  along  pretty  fast,  don't  you,  in  the  show? 
I  expect  Byron  Smith  will  be  here  before  long.  We  hav 
not  had  a  battle  yet,  not  eny  sines  of  one.  Now  we  are 
bringing  in  prisoners  every  day ;  we  hav  captured  3  rebel 
officers  since  we  have  been  here — 1  Capt.,  2  Lieut.,  and 
they  hav  been  sent  to  Alton,  Illinois,  to  be  cept  in  prison 


148  FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY. 

untill  the  war  is  closed.  Captain  Baird  and  Mason  went 
out,  and  they  was  a  going  along,  and  they  looked  a  little 
ways  ahead  of  them  and  they  saw  2  rebel  cavalry.  Cap- 
tain Baird  told  them  to  halt,  but  they  would  not,  and  he 
told  the  men  to  fire,  and  they  fired,  and  they  run  about 
half  a  mile  and  they  stoped,  and  they  brought  them  into 
camp.  I  cannot  find  a  great  deal  to  write  this  time;  I 
must  go  to  my  dinner.  Write  as  soon  as  you  can. 
From  your  Friend. 

You  must  not  fall  in  love  with  all  the  girls;  leave  some 
for  me. 

[This  letter  written  by  a  12  year  old  boy  staying  with 
the  129th  111.  Vol.] 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  149 

WILLIAM  GRIMES. 
Co.  K,  4TH  ILL.  CAV. 

TO  HIS  FRIENDS  AT  HOME. 

CAMP  CAIRO,  Jan.  9,  1862. 

There  are  only  three  companies  here  now ;  the  rest  left  this 
morning  to  go  down  the  river;  they  are  expecting  a  heavy 
battle  at  Columbus  in  a  short  time.  30,000  troops  came 
down  the  Ohio  this  morning;  eight  companies  left  our 
regiment  to  go  with  them,  and  a  lot  of  infantry  from  Bird's 
Point.  The  boys  made  so  much  noise  we  could  hear  them 
for  two  or  three  miles ;  they  felt  so  nice  to  think  they  were 
going  to  get  into  a  fight.  As  I  could  not  go,  I  let  one  of 
them  take  my  rifle.  Some  of  the  gunboats  went  down  the 
river  yesterday,  and  one  of  them  came  back  with  the  top 
of  it  torn  to  pieces.  They  had  a  little  skirmish;  eighteen 
of  the  men  from  Bird's  Point  were  wounded. 


May  26,  1862. 

Last  night  I  was  on  picket,  and  we  were  shot  at  twice. 
The  rebels  are  so  close  to  our  lines  that  we  can  see  them. 
They  holler  at  us  and  want  to  know  how  strongly  we  are 
fortified.  One  of  the  infantry,  a  little  ways  from  where  I 
stood,  was  shot  in  the  leg.  We  leave  our  horses  and  take 
it  Indian  fashion  behind  trees.  Are  now  within  three  and 
a  half  miles  of  Corinth ;  heavy  breastworks  are  thrown  up, 


150  FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY. 

and  a  lot  of  siege  guns,  that  take  twelve  yoke  of  oxen  to 
draw  one  of  them,  are  stationed  here. 

Col.  Dickey  says  he  is  going  to  see  if  he  can't  take  the 
4th  Cav.  back  to  Illinois  to  let  them  recruit,  after  the  battle 
is  over  at  Corinth.  Gen.  Sherman  says  the  cavalry  can  go 
to  hell  or  anywhere  else  after  the  battle  is  fought. 


HOLLY  SPEINGS,  Miss.,  Dec.  30,  '62. 
We  have  been  riding  every  day  since  we  left  Trenton ; 
followed  the  rebel  cavalry  four  days,  but  could  get  no  fight 
out  of  them.  Thev  have  been  all  along  the  railroad,  and 
attacked  nearly  every  station.  About  2,500  of  them  made 
an  attack  on  Middleburg,  near  Bolivar,  Tenn. ;  13  of  them 
were  killed.  Only  150  of  the  12th  Mich,  were  there. 
The  rebels  thought  there  was  more  of  them.  They  took 
Trenton  shortly  after  we  left,  and  four  of  our  men  there. 
Perhaps  you  would  like  to  know  what  I  had  for  a  Christ- 
mas dinner ;  it  was  a  piece  of  meat  roasted  over  a  rebel 
fire,  and  I  was  glad  to  get  that. 


FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY.  151 

GEORGE  F.  DASHILL, 
Co.  K.  4TH  ILL.  CAV. 

COLLIERVILLE,  TENJST.,  Jan.  24,  1863. 

MB.  GILES  GRIMES — It  is  a  painful  task  I  undertake 
this  evening,  that  of  writing  to  inform  you  of  the  death  of 
your  son  William.  Yesterday,  he  in  company  with  one 
other  member  of  our  company  procured  a  pass  through 
our  lines  to  purchase  vegetables.  When  about  six  miles 
from  camp  they  were  unexpectedly  met  and  attacked  by  a 
force  of  rebel  cavalry.  Chester  S.  Acker,  the  man  with 
him,  was  instantly  killed.  William  was  wounded  and  lived 
till  six  o'clock  this  morning.  He  was  taken  to  a  house 
close  by  and  kindly  treated,  and  had  a  doctor  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  all  done  that  could  be  under  the  circumstances. 
We  got  word  of  the  sad  affair  last  night,  went  out  with  a 
force  and  brought  the  bodies  in  this  morning.  We  will 
bury  them  to-morrow  as  decently  as  our  situation  will  per- 
mit. In  William  we  lose  a  brave  and  faithful  soldier,  a 
pleasant  and  agreeable  comrade.  One  whom  the  company 
will  miss,  and  deeply  regret  his  sad  fate.  The  last  words 
he  spoke  were,  "Tell  the  boys  when  they  come  that  all  has 
been  done  for  me  that  could  be,  by  honest,  Christian  peo- 
ple." 

Yours  Respct. 


152  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

COLLIERVILLE,  March  1,  1863. 

MR.  G.  GRIMES — I  was  glad  to  hear  of  your  arrival 
at  home  with  no  accident  on  the  way  to  detain  you.  We 
were  pleased  to  hear  of  the  large  attendance  at  William's 
funeral.  It  was  the  last  sad  rites  paid  to  a  patriotic  and 
brave  soldier,  one  who  left  all  the  endearments  of  what 
constitutes  a  home,  in  the  very  bloom  of  youth,  to  give  him- 
self a  sacrifice  to  maintain  the  constitution.  He  has  fallen 
as  but  sand  on  the  sea  shore,  thousands  of  his  comrades 
have  gone  before  and  many  more  will  soon  follow. 

I  dare  not  say  this  is  the  work  of  God,  but  it  sometimes 
occurs  to  me  that  it  is  a  judgment  sent  upon  us  for  our  evil 
deeds  in  the  past.  It  seems  hard  that  we  should  have  to 
suffer  the  hardships  and  privations  that  we  are  subjected 
to,  the  killed  on  the  battlefield,  the  wounded  that  suffer  so 
much,  some  of  them  crippled  for  life,  and  the  thousands 
that  wear  away  by  disease.  I  say  it  seems  hard  for  a  peo- 
ple to  suffer  all  this  and  more  too,  unless  there  is  some 
great  good  to  be  brought  about  in  the  end. 

I  see  the  conscription  act  has  passed  both  houses  of  con- 
gress. I  think  now  we  may  look  for  stirring  times  in  the 
Northern  States.  I  am  well  satisfied  with  the  specifica- 
tions of  the  bill ;  we  want  more  men  in  the  field  and  must 
have  them  soon  or  all  is  lost.  The  rebels  have  more  men 
in  service  to-day  than  we  have.  It  takes  so  much  of  our 
force  to  guard  the  rivers  and  railroad,  and  the  thousand 
other  places,  that  we  cannot  have  a  sufficient  number  to 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  153 

work  against  them  successfully  in  the  field.  The  forces 
left  to  guard  the  roads  have  been  too  small,  but  perhaps 
all  that  could  be  spared,  consequently  so  many  disasters 
happen  on  the  railroads  behind  our  armies.  We  want  our 
old  regiments  filled  up  with  good  men  from  the  North  and 
West,  and  then  when  the  army  moves  the  earth  will  trem- 
ble with  the  tread  of  brave  soldiers  who  are  determined 
this  wicked  rebellion  shall  end.  Some  of  us  have  been  in 
what  seems  to  us  to  be  a  very  long  time,  but  we  are  willing 
to  stay  to  the  end  if  we  can  get  help,  if  not  all  is  lost  and  we 
are  a  fallen  nation.  No  doubt  there  are  thousands  of  young 
and  able-bodied  men  scattered  through  the  North-west  who 
are  unwilling  to  enlist.  They  can  take  up  a  paper,  read 
an  account  of  a  battle  or  a  long,  hard  march,  and  when 
they  are  through  lay  it  down  and  say,  "  Go  ahead,  you 
can't  get  me  into  the  scrape."  Such  a  man  has  neither 
heart,  common  sense,  nor  conscience,  he  is  not  fit  to  breathe 
the  air  of  our  glorious  state  of  Illinois,  and  I  know  several 
of  this  very  kind.  I  would  rather  be  out  of  the  world  than 
out  of  the  army  at  this  time.  Some  plead  as  the  excuse 
that  somebody  must  stay  at  home  and  work.  They  are 
cowards  and  afraid  to  go.  There  would  be  enough  left  at 
home,  unfit  for  military  duty,  to  do  all  the  work. 


154  FOOTFALLS   OF  LOYALTY. 

«  SI.  KLEGG  TO  HIS  GURL." 

(From  National  Tribune,  by  permission.) 
DEER  ANNIE — I  now  take  my  pen  in  hand  to  let  yon 
no  that  I  am  well,  except  the  doggoned  blisters  on  my  feet, 
and  I  hope  these  few  lines  may  find  you  enjoying  the  same 
blessins.  Bein  a  soljur  aint  quite  what  they  crack  it  up 
to  be  when  theyr  gittin  a  feller  to  enlist.  Its  mity  ruff  and 
youd  better  believe  it.  you  ought  to  be  glad  that  your  a 
gurl  and  don't  have  to  go.  I  wisht  I  was  a  girl  some- 
times. I  havent  killed  enny  rebbells  yit.  Me  and  all  the 
rest  of  the  boys  want  to  have  a  fite,  but  it  looks  like  Gin- 
eral  Buil  was  afeard,  and  we  don't  git  no  chance,  i  axed 
the  Ordly  couldent  he  git  me  a  furlow.  The  Ordly  just 
laft  and  says  to  me,  "Si."  says  he,  "yer  don't  know  as 
much  as  a  mule."  I  made  Shorty  see  stars  tother  night, 
cos  he  was  a  talkin  bout  you.  The  captn  made  me  walk 
up  and  down  for  a  hour  with  a  big  rail  on  my  sholder. 
You  tel  Squar  Joneses  boy  that  he  haint  got  sand  enuff 
to  jine  the  army,  and  if  he  don't  keep  away  from  you 
lie  bust  his  eer  when  I  git  home,  if  I  ever  do.  Whattle 
you  do  if  I  shouldnt  never  see  you  agin  ?  But  you  know 
this  glorus  Govyment  must  be  pertected  and  the  bully 
stars  and  strips  must  flote  and  your  Si.  is  goin  to  help 

do  it. 

My  pen  is  poor,  my  ink  is  pale, 
My  luv  for  you  shal  never  fale. 

Yours  affeckshnitly. 


FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY.  155 

DEER  ANNIE — I  once  more  take  my  pen  in  hand  to  tell 
you  theres  grate  news.  Im  an  ossifer.  We  had  a  awful 
fite  yisterday,  I  don't  no  how  many  rebels  I  kild,  but  I 
guess  thare  was  enuff  to  start  a  good  sised  graveyard.  I 
tuk  a  prizner  too  and  the  Kurnal  says  to  me,  bully  for  you 
mister  Klegg,  or  some  thing  to  that  effeck.  This  morning 
they  made  me  a  Corporil  and  red  it  out  before  the  hull  reji- 
meut.  I  gess  youd  been  proud  if  you  could  have  seen  me. 
To-night  the  boys  is  hollerin  hurra w  for  Corporil  Klegg 
all  over  the  camp,  i  aint  as  big  as  the  Gineral  and  some 
of  the  other  ossifers,  but  thers  no  tellin  how  hi  He  git  in 
three  years. 

Round  is  the  ring  that  haint  no  end, 

So  is  my  love  to  you  my  frend. 

Yours  same  as  before. 


Jan.  the  4th,  1860. 

DEER  ANNIE — I  spose  youre  saw  in  the  papers  bout 
the  awful  fite  we  had.  Yude  better  blieve  we  lictem,  too. 
Of  course  taint  fer  me  to  brag  bout  myself,  an  I  aint 
going  to,  but  ile  jest  say  that  me  an  Shorty  was  thare  all 
the  time,  an  we  dident  get  behind  no  trees  nuther.  I  tell 
ye  it  was  hottern  a  camp  meetin.  Wun  bullet  scraped  the 
hair  offn  my  head ;  an  nuther  nocked  the  but  of  my  gun 
into  slivers ;  an  nuther  cut  the  strap  of  Shorty's  haver- 
sack— thats  the  bag  he  carries  his  grub  in — but  we  got  out 
all  rite.  I  had  a  idee  yude  be  kinder  glad  to  no  i  dident 


156  FOOTFALLS   OF  LOYALTY. 

run  and  hide  in  a  mewl  wagin  when  the  bullits  began  ter 
zip.  I  want  yer  to  think  as  mutch  of  me  as  ye  kin,  an  I 

.,  no  a  gurl  likes  a  feller  wat  tries  ter  be  brave  an  do  his  duty 
bettern  she  does  wun  wats  a  coward,  If  enny  of  cum- 
pany  Q  as  was  woonded  gits  home  on  furlow,  I  aint 
afeerd  ter  have  ye  ask  them  how  Si  Klegg  stood  the  rack  it. 
Shorty  an  me  capchered  a  rebble  flag  an  the  man  wat  was 
carryin  it.  It  was  mighty  billyus,  an  i  dident  bleeve  ide 
ever  see  yer  agin.  Maybe  i  wunt,  cause  i  spose  weve  got 
ter  go  threw  sum  more  fites,  but  ittle  make  me  feel  awful 
bad  if  i  dont,  fer  ive  thot  a  heap  of  ye  durin  these  days. 
I  hoap  ye  think  bout  me  as  offen  as  i  do  bout  you.  But 
say,  Annie,  i  dont  want  ter  fite  haf  as  bad  as  i  did  afore — 
taint  funny  a  bit.  But  the  200th  is  a  bully  regiment,  an 

*  ime  goin  to  stick  by  her  threw  thick  an  thin,  jist  the  saims 
ime  goin  ter  stick  by  you.  Thares  lots  of  things  ide  like 
to  write,  but  i  cant  now,  as  i  haint  enny  more  paper,  an  i 
got  this  offen  a  package  of  catridges. 

if  yn  luv  me  as  i  lav  yu 

kno  nife  can  cut  ower  luv  intu. 

Yourn  frever. 


KY.,  Nov.,  1800  and  62. 

DEER  ANNIE — We  was  pade  off  to-day.  I  dident  git 
very  much,  only  a  little  morin  leven  dollars.  They  give 
me  jest  the  saims  what  privits  gits,  and  ime  a  corporil.  I 
think  its  almity  mean — dont  yew  ?  And  the  sutler — the 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  157 

boys  calls  him  Skinner,  cause  he  takes  the  hide  rite  off — 
he  got  puty  ni  haff  my  money.  He  sed  I  ode  it  to  him  for 
checks.  Checks  is  what  the  boys  gits  from  the  sutler  wen 
they  haint  got  enny  money  to  buy  pikles  an  sardeens  an 
things.  I  gess  the  sutler  puts  down  too  dollers  on  hi& 
book  every  time  a  man  byes  a  dollers  worth  of  checks; 
then  it  doant  take  morn  5  minits  to  spend  the  checks. 
Yew  hav  to  pay  10  sents  for  a  peece  of  cheese  that  aint 
enny  biggern  a  postige  stamp.  Thats  the  kind  of  a  man 
the  sutler  is.  Shorty  sez  he  gives  the  kurnel  lots  of  stuff,, 
but  we  cant  all  be  kurnels,  for  thar  woodent  be  ennyboddy 
to  lik  the  rebels.  Now,  Annie,  this  is  the  furst  money  I 
ever  urned  fer  myself,  and  I  jest  wanted  to  cend  part  of  it 
fer  yew  to  git  sumthing  thattle  always  make  you  think  of 
Si.  You  may  as  well  have  it,  cause  if  ye  dont  ime  afeered 
the  sutler  will  git  it.  Take  this  $5.00  dollars  and  bye  a 
wring  to  put  on  your  finger.  Yew  no  which  finger  to  put 
it  on.  If  ennyboddy  asks  ye  hoo  give  ye  that  wring,  and 
what  yere  warin  it  for,  jist  tell  em  nun  of  thare  bisness. 
We  has  sum  awful  hard  times,  but  ime  goin  to  stick  by 
the  star  strangle  banger  as  long  as  thares  a  rag  of  her  left. 

The  rose  is  red,  the  vilets  blew, 
Sugar  is  sweet  and  bully  for  yew. 

Always  yourn. 


158  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

MONTGOMERY  WISEMAN, 
4TH  KY.  V.  I. 

TO  HIS  LITTLE  SISTER  ANNIE. 

WINCHESTER,  TENN.,  Aug.  7, 1862. 

I  would  love  to  be  at  home  going  to  school  with  you, 
but  that  is  impossible.  I  want  you  to  learn  as  fast  as  you 
«an,  and  write  all  about  it  to  me. 

We  are  living  fine  down  here  in  Dixie  now.  The  rebels 
have  been  shooting  our  men  and  robbing  our  trains,  and 
we  have  been  turned  loose  on  them,  and  take  whatever  we 
need.  We  have  quit  drawing  rations,  and  gone  to  for- 
aging. 

Gen.  McCook,  who  commanded  the  9th  Ohio  at  Mill 
Spring,  was  killed  by  the  guerillas  yesterday.  He  was 
bringing  his  brigade  from  Tuscumbia  to  this  place,  and 
Avas  taken  sick,  and  was  behind  the  train  in  an  ambulance, 
when  he  was  taken  out  and  murdered.  His  brigade  has 
lurned  on  the  country,  burning  everything  before  them. 
They  hung  three  guerillas  to  one  tree.  The  10th  Ky.  is 
guarding  Winchester  to  keep  them  from  burning  the  town. 


LA  VERNE,  TENN.,  March  13,  '63. 
I  would  love  to  have  you  here,  for  you  would  see  things 
that  you  could  not  forget  as  long  as  you  lived.     We  are 
encamped  by  the  side  of  a  big  fort,  on  a  hill  that  can  be 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  159 

seen  five  miles  off,  and  through  openings  in  the  cedars  we 
can  see  miles  below  us.  In  the  valley  is  a  few  scattered 
houses,  all  that  is  left  of  a  town  that  last  spring  was  as 
large  as  Richmond,  Ky.,  and  the  chimneys  are  standing 
like  dead  timber  in  an  old  clearing.  The  whole  country 
has  been  fought  over,  and  cannon  shot  and  bomb  shells 
are  scattered  all  through  the  woods.  The  cars  are  passing 
and  repassing  all  times  of  the  day,  going  on  to  Murfrees- 
boro. 

I  would  not  advise  you  to  read  novels,  as  they  fill  up 
the  mind  with  useless  lumber,  and  take  away  all  relish  for 
solid  reading.  I  want  you  to  read  history,  biography, 
travels,  and  religious  books,  something  to  inform  the  mind 
and  improve  the  manners.  I  have  a  copy  of  Shakespeare 
that  I  read  considerably. 


TRINNE,  TENN.,  June  8,  '63. 

We  left  Laverne  on  the  3d  and  came  here;  it  is  a  nice 
place  and  a  pretty  camp.  We  have  a  review  most  every 
day,  first  by  Gen.  Granger,  then  by  Gen.  Brannon.  There 
has  been  a  big  battle  fought  at  Franklin,  ten  miles  from 
here;  part  of  the  troops  at  this  point  was  sent  there  and 
took  part  in  the  fight.  We  have  the  1st  and  4th  East 
Tenn.  Cavalry  here  with  us.  The  1st  is  commanded  by 
Col.  Brownlow,  a  son  of  Parson  Brownlow.  The  rebels 
dread  them  more  than  any  troops  in  the  field.  In  battle 
they  charge  with  drawn  sabers  on  the  first  rebels  they  meet. 


160  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

It  is  the  talk  that  we  will  be  mounted  and  brigaded  with 
them  and  sent  to  East  Tenn.  Our  troops  took  100  pris- 
oners yesterday.  They  were  Kentucky  rebels  under  Breck- 
enridge;  they  said  they  were  tired  of  war,  and  gave  them- 
selves up  voluntarily,  and  that  they  would  take  the  non- 
combatant  parole  and  go  home. 


NEW  OBLEANS,  Mar.  5,  1863. 

Miss  ALICE  FARMER — It  is  with  the  gratest  pleasure 
that  I  take  the  present  oportoonity  of  writing  these  few 
tines  to  you,  hoping  you  haven't  foregoten  your  friends  in 
the  St.  James  Hospital  that  you  ust  to  fetch  things  to 
when  you  came  hear  thay  is  one  in  hear  that  woold  like  to 
see  you  in  peticlar.  I  shall  not  menchen  his  name  just  now 
I  think  you  can  gess  ho  it  is  without  telling,  as  fore  my 
part  you  have  don  me  a  doodeal  of  good  with  what  you 
have  fetched  in  hear.  I  don't  no  as  I  ever  wood  got  well 
if  you  hadeut  brought  us  something  to  eat.  I  don't  think 
the  steward  is  as  smart  as  he  thinks  he  is,  I  have  seen  a 
great  many  smarter  men  than  he  is  get  their  heads  broke, 
and  i  fore  one  woold  like  to  do  it.  We  have  got  one  fel- 
ler says  if  ever  he  gets  him  away  from  this  hospital  he  will 
make  him  think  he  wished  he  never  saw  him  I  havent  any 
more  at  present  fore  it  is  a  geting  late,  so  I  will  close  my 
letter  with  good-by  ontill  you  get  so  you  can  come  again 
with  your  basket.  175  N.  Y. 


FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY.  161 

LETTEES    FROM    HOME. 


TO  JOSEPH  M.  STETSON, 
57TH  ILL.,  Co.  K,  VOL.  I. 

NEPONSET,  ILL.,  Nov.  13, 1864. 

My  DEAR  BROTHER  JOE. — Last  night  brought  us  your 
letter  of  the  30th  with  the  sad  news  we  have  been  dread- 
ing the  past  week,  yet  hoping  that  through  some' means 
you  might  not  be  included  with  the  host  that  was  to  go 
with  Sherman.  How  little  we  at  home  know  of  soldier 
life  and  soldier  duties.  Tuesday,  election  day,  Jim,  John, 
little  Joe,  and  I  went  out  into  the  street  to  watch  the  train 
go  by,  hoping  "our  Joe"  had  got  a  furlough  and  would 
be  one  to  come  home  to  vote.  You  know  of  course  that 
we  were  disappointed,  and  that  no  soldier's  cap  of  "  our 
Joe"  responded  to  the  waving  of  our  handerchiefs,  for  the 
cap  that  we  were  looking  for  and  its  owner  were  then  a 
week's  march  on  their  way  with  Sherman.  But  I'll  war- 
rant you  thought  of  home  that  day  almost  as  often  as  we 
thought  of  you.  "  Now,  if  Joe  were  only  here."  Oh,  yes, 
if  Joe  were  only  here,  and  it  seems  a  shame  on  the  people 
of  our  state  that  Illinois  and  Indiana,  who  have  always 
been  the  first  to  fill  their  quota,  should  be  the  only  ones 
who  do  not  give  their  noble  men  who  are  battling  for  them 
their  right  to  vote.  But  it  will  be  different  now,  thank 
12 


162  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

Providence,  those  left  at  home  are  not  all  copperheads  as 
shown  by  the  returns,  111.,  30,000  for  Lincoln;  Bureau 
Co.,  1,500.  Doing  pretty  well  is  it  not,  taking  into  con- 
sideration how  many  there  are  in  the  field  who  had  no  say  j 
in  the  matter,  and  from  all  accounts  Father  Abraham  is 
elected  for  another  four  years.  I  am  sure  that  every  loyal 
man  and  woman  hopes  he  may  not  have  as  hard  a  time  as 
he  has  had  in  the  past  four  years.  The  "Cops"  polled  50 
votes  in  this  town,  they  have  worked  hard  for  them.  I 
will  give  you  the  approximate  election  returns  as  given  in 
the  Tribune.  111.,  about  30,000;  Minn.,  6,000  ;  Ind.,  35,- 
000;  Wis.,  8,000;  Mich.,  10,000;  Maryland,  5,000; 
Penn.,  35,000;  Maine,  18  to  25,000;  Cal.,  25,000;  Ne- 
vada, 2,000 ;  Oregon,  2,000,  for  the  Union.  New  Jersey, 
7,500;  Del.,  450  for  McClellan.  Missouri  went  Union 
in  spite  of  Price.  New  York  has  given  a  very  small  ma- 
jority for  Lincoln.  Of  course  some  of  these  I  have  given 
you  are  not  very  accurate,  but  as  I  took  them  from  the 

papers  from  time  to  time. 

Your  loving  sister, 

EMMA  STETSON. 

P.  S.  The  storm  interfered  with  the  workings  of  the 
telegraph  since  election,  so  that  returns  have  come  in  slowly 
until  to-night.  The  "  little  Me  "  men  have  claimed  New 
York  by  a  small  majority,  but  give  up  now.  The  city 
went  30,000  for  McClellan.  Boston  5,053,  and  Chicago 
1,813  for  Lincoln.  Detroit  went  Me,  Kalamazoo  1,000 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  163 

for  Lincoln  and  the  Union.  Hurrah  for  Lincoln,  the 
Union,  the  flag,  and  for  our  brave  boys  in  blue.  May  God 
bless  and  prosper  them  and  their  gallant  comrades. 


Mar.  12,  1865. 

It  seems  an  age  since  we  heard  from  you,  Jan.  7th.  I 
hope  and  pray  that  you  may  keep  well.  This  last  march 
I  am  afraid  will  be  worse  than  the  long  one  through  Geor- 
gia. If  our  newspaper  correspondents  could  only  keep 
track  of  you,  I  think  we  all  would  feel  better.  I  made  the 
acquaintance  of  your  old  comrade  Samuel  Hazelton.  We 
went  to  Buda  to  get  a  flag  for  some  tableaux  which  we  got 
up  at  Neponset  for  the  benefit  of  our.  Soldier's  Aid  Society, 
last  Thursday  night.  The  hall  was  full,  and  had  the 
weather  been  pleasant  it  would  have  been  more  than  full. 
We  cleared  $25.50.  Had  a  mush  and  milk  supper  at  Mrs. 
Nick  Buswell's  for  the  same  purpose,  charged  25  cents  ad- 
mittance, took  in  $51.25.  Another  tableau  entertain- 
ment brought  $20.  So  you  see  with  our  meetings  every 
Thursday  afternoon  to  sew,  we  have  done  something  in  the 
past  three  months  and  are  doing  something  still  for  our  suf- 
fering soldiers.  But  Sherman,  on  his  long  marches  through 
,  the  interior,  gets  little  aid  from  our  Sanitary.  It  has  been 
raining,  hailing,  and  snowing  all  day,  alternately,  and  is 
now  raining  and  freezing  as  it  falls,  till  the  hedges  and 
evergreens  are  breaking  with  ice  and  creaking  dismally  m 
the  wind.  Oh,  what  a  night  to  be  a  soldier  in !  Thank 


164  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

God  our  brave  boys  are  not  breasting  such  weather  as  this. 
How  many  times  have  we  been  thankful  that  Sherman  was 
not  marching  through  a  northern  climate.  May  God  be 
with  our  soldiers,  watch  over  them  and  guard  them  as  they 
go  on  reaping  glory  that  will  never  fade  on  the  pages  of 
history,  enduring  what  we  little  dream  of,  can  never  realize, 
all  for  our  sake  and  the  sake  of  the  dear  old  flag.  May 
Heaven  protect  them  and  bring  them  back  among  us  to 
enjoy  the  peace  that  they  by  their  noble  self-sacrifice  have 
won.  The  day  seems  as  though  it  could  not  be  far  distant. 


March  19,  1865. 

When  that  great  package  of  letters  reaches  Sherman's 
army  Jpe  will  expect  to  find  a  few  of  his  "  weeklies " 
among  them,  and  Emma  don't  want  him  to  be  disappointed. 
She  don't  think  of  anything  that  will  interest  him,  only 
she  has  firm  faith  that  he  likes  to  get  letters  or  he  must  be 
very  much  changed  from  the  dear  brother  who  used  to 
help  me  ransack  old  chests  for  letters  that  neither  of  us 
knew  anything  about,  only  they  were  something  we  had 
never  read,  and  I  don't  believe  but  there  is  some  of  the 
old  in  you  yet  Would'nt  it  be  grand  if  the  western  boys 
had  to  march  up  to  take  Richmond  ?  Just  think,  if  Gen. 
Sherman's  army,  who  took  Donelson,  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Chat- 
tanooga, Atlanta,  and  then  marched  across  and  took  Sa- 
vanah  and  Charleston,  should  keep  marching  on,  like  John 
Brown's  soul,  until  it  reached  and  captured  Richmond. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  165 

Oh,  what  a  record  the  western  boys  have  kept  with  saber 
and  bayonet,  ever  marching  on  from  one  field  of  heroic 
valor  to  another,  sometimes  filling  up  in  a  week  blanks  of 
years.  It  don't  seem  possible  that  they  could  endure  what 
they  have,  yes,  and  what  they  are  enduring  even  now  on 
this  march  that  is  taking  them  away  from  all  connection 
with  the  loyal  world,  through  the  interior  of  secession.  'May 
they  be  blessed  as  they  deserve,  for  man  will  never  be  able 
to  express  his  gratitude  for  what  these  same  dear  boys  in 
blue  have  done  for  their  country  and  their  homes. 


May  10,  1865. 

Do  you  know  that  I  came  pretty  near  having  you  home 
to  dinner  with  us  to-day?  Well,  I  did.  I  got  the  boys 
out  of  the  granary,  and  ma  up  from  the  cellar  to  see 
Joe,  but  poor  I  was  sadly  disappointed,  for  he  went  straight 
past;  and  by  the  time  he  got  near  the  house  I  did  not  care 
to  own  him  as  ours.  The  Tribune  says,  the  boys  of  the 
15th  army  corps  are  making  long  strides  homewards.  155 
miles  in  five  and  a  half  days.  Wonder  if  "our  Joe"  was 
one  of  them,  and  if  he  had  saved  his  mule  so  he  wouldn't 
have  to  march  all  that  long  way?  "The  advance  expects 
to  be  in  Richmond  this  week."  That  sounds  more  like 
coming  home  than  anything  I've  heard  yet.  There  is  great 
discussion  as  to  whether  the  "veterans"  are  to  be  mus- 
tered out  now  or  not,  but  I  think  the  veterans  of  Sherman's 
army  are  to  be.  I  saw  an  order  that  at  Nashville  they  are 


166  FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY. 

not  to  be,  but  they  have  not  done  the  work  there  that  the 
boys  have  who  marched  through  the  confederacy  and 
couldn't  find  it.  Time,  I  suppose,  will  be  the  only  way 
to  settle  these  things,  as  there  is  no  relying  on  newspaper 
reporters. 

Sam  Dorr  is  home  on  a  furlough.  Capt.  Russell  was  in 
here  yesterday.  He  looks  a  little  more  like  a  human  be- 
ing than  he  did  when  he  first  got  back  from  the  rebel  pris- 
ons. To-night's  paper  says:  "Jeff.  Davis  is  completely 
surrounded  by  our  forces,  and  cannot  escape,"  and  that 
you  "are  in  Richmond." 

You  boys  seem  determined  to  see  all  there  was  of  the 

so-called  C.  S.  A. 

EMMA. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  167 

JANE  STETSON. 

March  6,  1865. 

Father  often  says,  "  I  would  like  to  know  where  Joseph 
is  to-night."  Sherman's  army  seems  "Onward."  Last 
night's  paper  says  he  has  made  junction  with  Schofield's 
forces  at  Goldsborough,  and  also  reported  him  moving  to- 
wards Ealeigh.  We  have  had  stirring  times  here  in  regard 
to  the  "call  for  300,000  more,"  but  our  county  will  bfc  full 
without  a  draft.  There  was  quite  an  excitement  three 
weeks  ago  among  the  younger  boys  to  enlist,  and  a  great 
number  enlisted.  Jesse  and  John  had  the  fever  among  the 
rest,  but  we  felt  that  they  were  not  called  as  yet;  and  it 
was  their  duty  to  remain  and  let  those  go  that  were  putting 
up  the  younger  boys  to  go.  After  quite  a  trial  on  both 
sides,  they  have  yielded  to  their  parents'  wishes.  In  the 
first  place  the  county  (Bureau)  went  in  for  a  bounty  to  pay 
substitutes,  and  keep  the  men  at  home,  for  men  were  needed 
to  do  the  work  on  the  farms.  Several  men  went  to  Cairo, 
and  others  sent  by  them  and  bought  up  for  the  towns. 
Your  father  sent  for  two,  and  paid  them  $800  a  piece  for 
two  or  three  years.  One  was  a  "veteran;"  both  over 
thirty  years  of  age;  they  enlisted  in  the  naval  service.  C. 
grows  worse  and  worse;  he  does  not  come  here  often,  and 
never  stays  as  formerly;  your  father  thinks  as  little  of 
him  as  you  do.  Poor  man,  he  has  ruined  himself.  "  Taste 
not,  touch  not,  handle  not."  I  often  think  of  you  boys  in 
the  army  in  respect  to  this  one  thing.  What  a  school  of 
sin  for  young  boys  it  must  be.  Your  mother. 


168  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

ESTER  MARIA  POND. 

SPRINGFIELD,  Wis.,  July  23,  1863. 

BROTHER  LEVI — You  know  not  how  anxiously  and 
impatiently  we  await  the  coming  of  your  letters. 

We  are  glad  to  hear  that  your  wound  is  doing  so  well, 
but  fear  your  health  is  giving  away  under  the  pressure  of 
so  many  hardships.  You  know,  dear  brother,  I  would 
not  ask  you  to  do  anything  wanting  in  honor,  anything 
that  would  cast  a  shade  on  your  noble,  manly  character, 
even  though  it  cost  both  our  lives  to  refuse;  yet  I  do  wish 
you  to  give  up  your  hard  soldier  life  before  your  whole 
strength,  and  life,  too,  is  worn  out,  when,  if  you  would 
leave  there  and  rest  until  your  health  was  fully  restored, 
you  might  be  saved  to  your  country  and  friends.  Previous 
to  getting  your  letter  a  week  ago,  I  had  intended  to  go  to 
you,  if  you  were  likely  to  be  alive  until  I  could  reach  you. 
and  shall  still  calculate  to  do  so  if  I  find  you  need  me. 

It  certainly  would  be  a  great  consolation  to  have  you 
with  us  for  a  while,  and  know  that  you  were  well  and  able 
to  endure  the  hardships  that  await  you,  notwithstanding 
the  severity  of  another  parting. 

Your  loving  sister. 

Levi  E.  Pond,  Capt.  Co.  R,  7th  Wis.  Vol  I. 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  169 

CHLOE  G.  B. 

KOSHKONONG,  Wis.,  May  1,  1864. 

FRIEND  WILLIAM — I  hope  you  will  not  think  me  bold 
in  writing  to  you  first.  I  am  not  going  to  school  this  sum- 
mer— they  make  me  play  Bridget  in  the  kitchen.  I  have 
been  to  meeting  almost  every  evening  for  the  past  four 
weeks.  All  the  girls  in  the  neighborhood  have  religion, 
excepting  Sarah,  Anna,  and  myself.  They  think  we  are 
hard  cases. 

Do  you  get  homesick  down  there?  The  boys  you  have 
written  to  say  you  are  not.  Wish  I  could  step  into  your 
tent  a  few  minutes,  and  see  how  you  get  along.  It  would 
seem  good  to  see  your  face  once  more. 

I  am  very  much  obliged  for  those  verses  and  mottoes. 
Hope  you  will  not  get  lonesome  down  in  Dixie.  Keep  up 
your  courage  and  be  .a  good  boy. 


170  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 


A  EEBEL  LOVE  LETTER. 

INTERCEPTED   BY  THE   LOYALISTS   ON   THEIR   MARCH   TO 

THE  SEA. 

DARE  SOLOMING — i  rite  to  you  to  datting  Uncle  jake 
says  theres  a  right  smart  un  you  boys  that  I  know  yod 
Not  forgit  your  Liza  Jane,  good  By.  God  Bles  you  sol. 
We  had  a  dance  to  widow  johusings  the  other  night,  my 
old  Bow  Bill  harning  Wanted  me  to  dance  With  him  but 
i  Inclined.  When  you  Left  sol  i  promised  not  To  dance 
with  Ary  a  young  man  or  set  upon  his  knee  until  you  got 
back  or  killed.  0  sol  The  yanks  are  Cutting  up  mightily. 
I  hard  that  you  was  killed  on  the  picket  Lyne  but  my 
Heart  don't  feel  it  and  sol  it  Feels  mightily  for  you 
sometimes.  I  kiss  your  picture  before  the  ,yanks  To  make 
them  mad.  Thars  a  curley  headed  Yank  with  blue  eyes 
thats  a  saying  hele  kiss  me  if  i  keep  A  doing  of  it.  i 
wouldent  care  if  He  did  But  for  your  sake  dare  sol.  Get 
a  furlow  And  come  to  me.  Cross  over  the  river  At  cap- 
ertons  ferry  near  steriugson  And  111  give  the  curly  headed 
yank  a  kiss  to  Let  ye  over.  good  by  sol  i  must  go. 
Mother  says  the  yanks  are  A  hunting  down  the  chickens 
And  goin  to  the  smoke  house  the  home  gards  on  tother 
side  of  The  tennesee  And  sum  of  the  confederate  cavalry 
stole  all  the  chickens  from  the  Union  folks  Thar,  cusing 
Jane  had  A  offer  to  marry  a  Yank  last  week  and  lord  shele 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  171 

do  it.  Thers  hapes  un  Our  girls  a  marry  on  em.  i  wont 
never  clu  it,  no  Never  if  i  can  du  better,  i  bait  them  wurz 
than  i  love  u.  o  dare  sol  come  To  see  me  just  wonst.  if 
u  knew  How  i  suffer  for  you  And  A  little  snuff  yud  come, 
the  weather  is  rite  Bad  and  so  is  my  cold  dare  sol.  Sol  i 
love  u  as  i  Never  loved  no  wone.  right  to  me  sol  At  cap- 
ertons  ferry.  Yur  Ever  loving  and  afeckshunate  Liza 
Jane. 


172  FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY. 

LIBBY'S  BRIGHT  SIDE. 

BY  FBANK  E.  MOEAK,  LATE  CAPTAIN  IN  THE  SEVENTY-THIED 

N.  Y.  VOLTJNTEEES. 

[Published  here  by  Permission  of  the  Author."] 
THE  ARRIVAL  AT  LIBBY. 

It  was  my  fortune,  or  rather  my  misfortune,  to  fall 
wounded  into  the  hands  of  the  confederates  in  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg  and  to  remain  a  prisoner  for  the  twenty 
months  that  followed.  The  first  half  of  the  time  was 
spent  in  Libby  Prison,  and  the  remainder  of  the  time  in 
Macon,  Ga.,  and  Columbia  and  Charleston,  S.  C.  Hav- 
ing been  captured  in  the  second  day's  fight  I  witnessed  the 
final  struggle  of  the  third  day  from  behind  the  confederate 
line,  and  was  directly  in  the  rear  of  Pickett's  division 
when  its  magnificent  but  vain  charge  was  made  to  break 
the  left  centre.  The  column  of  prisoners  accompanied  the 
retreat  of  the  confederate  army,  crossing  the  swollen  Po- 
tomac at  Williamsport  in  a  torrent  of  rain.  Our  route 
toward  Richmond  was  through  the  beautiful  but  then  de- 
vastated valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  our  journey  on  foot  be- 
ing not  much  less  than  two  hundred  miles.  The  column 
having  taken  cars  at  Stanton  arrived  in  Richmond  on 
July  18,  1863,  and  was  at  once  conducted  under  guard 
toward  the  north-eastern  border  of  the  city,  followed  by  a 
boisterous  mob  of  men,  women,  and  children.  We  halted 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  17& 

at  last  in  front  of  an  antiquated  brick  building,  over  the 
office  door  of  which  there  creaked  upon  its  rusty  hinges  a 
small,  weather-beaten  sign  of  oblong  shape,  bearing  on 
either  side  in  faded  letters  the  inscription :  "Libby  &  Sons, 
Ship  Chandlers  and  Grocers,"  while  from  the  barred  win- 
dows above  there  peered  down  upon  us  in  silence  a  group 
of  pale  faces,  and  the  captives  then,  for  the  first  time,  real- 
ized that  they  stood  on  the  threshold  of  the  famed  Libby 
Prison. 

Libby  was  a  Northern  man,  and  I  believe  a  native  of 
Maine,  who,  prior  to  the  war,  owned  and  occupied  the 
premises,  never  dreaming  in  those  peaceful,  prosy  days  of 
business,  that  the  modest  sign,  scarcely  larger  than  a  wash- 
board, would  through  the  strange  fortunes  of  a  future  war 
be  the  means  of  linking  his  name  forever  with  one  of  the 
most  noted  of  military  prisons,  and  assuredly  one  of  the 
most  interesting  landmarks  of  the  rebellion.  The  build- 
ing had  a  frontage  from  east  to  west  of  a  hundred  and 
forty-five  feet,  and  a  depth  from  north  to  south  of  one 
hundred  and  five  feet.  It  stood  isolated  from  other  build- 
ings, with  streets  passing  its  front,  rear,  and  west  ends, 
and  with  a  vacant  space  on  the  east  about  sixty  feet  in 
width.  A  line  of  sentinels  guarded  the  prison  from  every 
side.  The  portion  of  the  building  devoted  to  the  use  of 
the  prisoners  consisted  of  nine  rooms,  each  a  hundred  and 
two  feet  in  length  by  forty-five  in  breadth.  The  ceiling, 
was  about  eight  feet  high,  except  in  the  upper  rooms 


174  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 

which  were  higher,  better  lighted,  and  better  ventilated, 
owing  to  the  pitch  of  the  roof.  Rickety,  unban  nistered 
stairs  led  from  the  lower  to  the  upper  rooms,  and  all 
the  rooms  of  the  upper  floors  were  connected  by  doors, 
leaving  free  access  from  one  to  the  other.  With  the 
exception  of  a  few  rude  bunks  and  tables  in  the  upper 
and  lower  west  rooms,  which  were  respectively  termed 
"  Streight's  room"  and  "Milroy's  room,"  and  four  long 
tables  in  the  lower  middle  or  "  Kitehen  room ; "  there  was 
no  furniture  in  the  prison,  its  rooms  presenting  the  ordi- 
nary appearance  of  warehouse  lofts.  The  north  windows 
-commanded  a  partial  view  of  the  hilly  portion  of  the  city, 
which  in  1862  was  in  sight  of  McClellan's  outposts.  From 
the  east  the  prisoners  could  look  off  toward  the  Rocketts 
and  City  Point.  The  south  windows  looked  out  upon  the 
canal  and  the  James  river,  with  Manchester  opposite,  and 
a  portion  of  Belle  Isle,  while  from  the  windows  of  the 
upper  west  room  could  be  seen  Castle  Thunder,  Jefferson 
Davis'  mansion,  and  the  Confederate  capitol.  From  the 
staff  above  the  roof  there  floated  to  the  breeze  the  ensign  of 
the  Confederacy.  Such,  in  all  essential  points,  were  the 
external  and  internal  features  of  Libby  Prison  when  the 
column  of  prisoners  from  Gettysburg  entered  its  doors  in 
July,  1863. 

Of  its  occupants  it  can  be  said  that  Libby  Prison  was  a 
vast  museum  of  human  character,  whom  the  chances  of  war 
had  brought  into  close  communion ;  men  of  every  type 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  175 

and  temperament,  where  military  rank  was  wholly  ignored, 
and  where  all  shared  in  a  common  lot.  At  the  time  par- 
ticularly referred  to,  and  which  covers  probably  the  most 
interesting  portions  of  history,  that  is,  the  year  embraced 
between  the  early  spring  of  1863  and  May,  1864,  there  were 
confined  there  about  twelve  hundred  Union  commissioned 
officers  of  all  ranks  and  all  branches  of  the  army  and  navy, 
representing  every  loyal  state.  They  were  not  men  who 
would  have  sought  each  other's  society  of  their  own  accord 
from  any  natural  or  social  affinity,  but  who,  united  upon 
the  common  bond  of  patriotism,  had  been  involuntarily 
forced  together  by  the  fortunes  of  war,  which,  like  politics, 
often  "makes  strange  bed-fellows."  There  were  men  of 
all  sizes  and  all  nationalities ;  youth  and  age  were  side  by 
side,  and  titled  men  of  Europe  who  had  enlisted  in  our 
cause  might  be  found  among  the  captives.  There  were  about 
thirty  doctors,  as  many  ministers,  a  score  of  journalists 
and  lawyers,  a  few  actors,  and  a  proportionate  representa- 
tion from  all  the  popular  trades  and  professions  that 
could  engage  men  in  civil  life.  Among  them  were  ex- 
tensive travelers  and  brilliant  scholars,  who  had  seen 
the  world  and  could  entertain  audiences  for  hours  with 
narratives  of  their  journey  ings  abroad;  indeed,  among  the 
genuine  attractions  of  the  prison  was  the  profitable  pleasure 
always  to  be  derived  by  intimate  association  with  a  conven- 
tion of  men  of  bright  and  cultured  minds,  who  had  in  their 
love  of  country  often  led  their  squadrons  on  the  rough 


176  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

edge  of  battle,  and  who  in  their  history  and  in  themselves 
presented  the  best  types  of  modern  chivalry.  It  was,  in- 
deed, a  remarkable  convention,  and  the  circumstances  are 
not  likely  to  arise  that  will  re-assemble  its  counterpart 
again  in  this  generation. 

Take  it  all  in  all,  Libby  Prison,  from  the  strange  and 
vast  mixture  of  its  inmates,  as  well  as  from  all  its  peculiar 
surroundings,  was  doubtless  the  best  school  for  the  study 
of  human  nature  that  has  ever  been  seen  in  this  country. 
It  will  not  seem  strange,  therefore,  that  men  of  such  varied 
talents,  tastes,  and  dispositions,  shipwrecked  by  fortune  in 
this  peculiar  manner,  should  begin  to  devise  ways  and 
means  to  turn  the  tedious  hours  of  prison  life  to  some  ac- 
count. To  this  end  meetings  and  consultations  were  held 
and  various  plans  were  set  on  foot  for  the  amusement  and 
instruction  of  the  prisoners.  A  minstrel  troupe  was  or- 
ganized, and  it  could  boast  of  talent  that  would  compare 
favorably  with  some  of  the  professional  companies  of  to- 
day. By  a  generous  contribution  of  money  a  number  of 
musical  instruments  were  purchased,  forming  a  very  re- 
spectable orchestra,  and  soon  the  refreshing  and  welcome 
sound  of  music  enlivened  the  place,  and  often  when  the 
weary-souled  prisoner  had  lain  down  for  the  night  there 
would  steal  over  the  dark  and  dismal  place  the  familiar 
strains  of  "  Home,  Sweet  Home,"  and  if  there  ever  was  a 
time  and  place  when  the  old  melody  touched  the  teuderest 
chords  of  the  soldier's  heart  it  was  on  Christmas  eve  behind 


FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY.  177 

the  barred  windows  of  Libby  Prison.  Groups  of  men 
could  be  seen  in  all  parts  of  the  rooms  seated  on  the  floor 
playing  chess,  checkers  cards,  or  such  other  games  as  en- 
gaged their  fancy.  Many  busied  themselves  with  their 
pen-knives  making  bone  rings  and  ornaments  of  various 
designs,  many  of  them  being  carved  with  exquisite  skill, 
that  entitled  them  to  rank  as  positive  works  of  art,  and 
these  are  now  cherished  treasures  in  many  Northern  homes. 
In  the  upper  east  room  might  have  been  seen  General 
(then  Colonel)  di  Cesnola,  of  the  Fourth  New  York  cav- 
alry, instructing  a  class  of  officers  in  the  school  of  the 
battalion.  Colonel  di  Cesnola  was  a  brave  and  able  offi- 
cer, as  well  as  a  learned  and  courteous  gentleman,  whose 
acquirement  of  the  famous  treasures  of  art  at  Cyprus, 
known  as  the  "  Cesnola  collection/'  has  given  him  since 
the  war  such  deserved  eminence  in  the  world  of  art.  In 
the  upper  east  room  also,  might  have  been  seen  Colonel 
Cavuda,  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Fourteenth  Pennsylva- 
nia, busy  writing  his  book,  afterwards  published  and  wide- 
ly read,  entitled  "  Libby  Life."  Poor  fellow!  the  dream 
of  his  life  was  to  free  his  native  island  from  Spanish  rule, 
and  returning  from  the  war  he  took  part  in  the  patriots' 
revolt  in  Cuba,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Spaniards  and 
was  mercilessly  put  to  death  with  a  score  of  his  ill-fated 
comrades.  Many  of  the  prisoners  will  recall  his  beauti- 
fully descriptive  lecture  on  Cuba,  with  the  history,  resour- 
ces, and  scenery  of  which  he  was  wonderfully  familiar. 
10 


178  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

At  every  hour  of  the  day  learned  linguists  taught  at' 
tentive  classes  in  French,  German,  Spanish,  and  all  popu- 
lar languages.  Phonography  was  also  taught,  as  well  as 
grammar,  arithmetic,  and  other  branches  of  study.  The 
owner  of  a  book  in  Libby  was  the  object  of  immeasurable 
envy,  and  I  remember  on  one  occasion  upon  seeing  an  of- 
ficer with  Hugo's  "Les  Miserables,"  I  sought  out  the 
owner,  who  put  my  name  down  on  his  list  of  applicants 
to  borrow  it,  and  my  turn  to  read  it  came  six  months  after- 
wards. Dancing  was  among  the  accomplishments  taught 
to  large  classes,  and  it  was  truly  refreshing  to  see  grave 
colonels  tripping  the  "  light  fantastic."  Under  the  minis- 
ters' charge  daily  and  nightly  prayer  meetings  were  held, 
and  as  there  was  generally  a  "  ball "  going  on  at  the  same 
time  it  was  not  infrequent  to  see  a  lively  "  break-down " 
at  one  end  of  the  room  and  a  prayer  meeting  at  the  other, 
and  to  hear  the  loud  turn  of  the  banjo  mingling  with  the 
solemn  melody  of  the  doxology.  The  doctors  endeavored 
to  enlighten  audiences  by  occasional  lectures  on  "gun-shot 
wounds,"  "amputation,"  "the  effect  of  starvation  on  the 
human  system,"  and  other  cheerful  topics. 

General  Neil  Dow,  of  Maine  liquor-law  fame,  in  several 
eloquent  discourses  warned  his  fellow  prisoners  against 
the  blighting  evils  of  intemperance,  and  it  is  hut  just  to 
the  general's  eloquence  and  to  my  comrades  to  record  that 
during  the  remainder  of  their  stay  at  the  confederate  capi- 
tal no  cases  of  intoxication  occurred  among  them.  While 


FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY.  179 

the  general  was  a  prisoner  his  cotton  mill  at  Portland  was 
burned,  and  one  of  the  Richmond  papers  copying  the 
news  from  the  Northern  journals  substituted  for  the  word 
"  mills  "  the  word  "  distillery  " — a  cruel  joke  upon  the  ear- 
nest general.  A  debating  society  was  formed,  and  all  man- 
ner of  subjects  were  discussed,  bringing  to  light  a  goodly 
number  of  really  eloquent  speakers,  who  have  since 
achieved  fortune  and  distinction  throughout  the  country. 
A  form  of  amusement  at  night  when  the  lights  were  out 
was  what  was  termed  the  "  catechism,"  which  consisted  of 
loud  questions  and  answers,  mimicries,  and  cries,  which, 
when  combined  and  in  full  blast,  made  a  pandemonium, 
compared  with  which  a  mad  house  or  a  boiler  foundry 
would  have  been  a  peaceful  refuge,  and  such  cries  as 
"Tead,  of  Reading!"  "Pack  up!""^ho  broke  the  big 
rope?"  "Who  stole  Mosby's  hash?"  and  "  "Who  shaved 
the  nigger  of  the  truck  ?  " — all  as  unintelligible  as  Choctaw 
to  the  uninitiated — were  pointed  and  plain  enough  to  those 
who  used  them,  alluding  as  they  did  to  events  and  per- 
sons of  the  prison.  All  enjoyed  them,  except  the  victims 
at  whom  they  were  aimed. 

In  each  of  the  large  rooms  at  night  the  prisoners 
covered  the  floor  completely,  lying  in  straight  rows  like 
prostrate  lines  of  battle.  It  was,  of  course,  inevitable  that 
among  such  a  large  number  of  sleepers  there  should  ap- 
pear the  usual  affliction  of  loud  snorers,  whose  involuntary 
discord  at  times  drew  a  terrific  broadside  of  boots,  tin 


180  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

cans,  and  other  convenient  missiles,  which  invariably 
struck  the  wrong  man  with  the  most  deadly  precision. 
Among  oar  number  was  one  particular  officer  whose  un- 
fortunate habit  of  grinding  his  teeth  secured  him  a  larger 
share  of  room  at  night  than  was  commonly  allowed  to  a 
single  prisoner,  and  inspired  his  comrades  with  the  unani- 
mous hope  that  a  special  exchange  might  restore  him  to 
his  family,  for  certainly  he  was  a  man  who  would  be 
missed  from  wherever  he  had  lived — certainly  wherever  he 
had  lodged.  On  one  memorable  night,  when  this  gentle- 
man was  entertaining  us  with  his  customary  tooth  solo,  one 
of  our  comrades,  who  had  been  kept  awake  for  the  previ- 
ous three  nights,  after  vainly  and  repeatedly  shouting  to 
the  nocturnal  minstrel  to  "  Shut  up,  for  God's  sake,"  arose 
in  his  wrath,  and  picking  his  steps  in  the  dark  among  his 
prostrate  comrades,  arrived  at  last  near  a  form  which  he 
felt  certain  was  that  of  the  disturber  of  his  peace,  and 
with  one  mighty  effort  he  bestowed  a  kick  in  the  ribs  of 
the  victim  that  was  distinctly  heard  in  every  part  of  the 
room  and  hurriedly  retreated  to  his  place.  Then  arose  the 
kicked  officer,  who  was  not  the  grinder,  and  amid  the  si- 
lence of  the  night  made  an  eloquent  address  to  his  invisi- 
ble assailant,  employing  terms  and  vigorous  adjectives  that 
I  certainly  do  not  remember  to  have  seen  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, and  vehemently  declaring  in  his  brilliant  perora- 
tion that  he'd  "  be  blank  blanked  if  it  was  not  outrage 
enough  to  be  compelled  to  spend  wakeful  nights  beside  a 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  181 

man  who  made  his  life  a  burden  to  him  and  his  nights 
hideous  with  tooth  serenades,  but  it  was  a  little  too  much 
to  be  kicked  for  him,"  and  resumed  his  hard  bed  amid 
thunderous  applause,  during  which  the  grinder  was  awak- 
ened, and  was  for  the  first  time  made  aware  of  the  cause 
of  the  enthusiasm. 

The  inherent  spirit  of  Yankee  enterprise  under  difficul- 
ties was  well  illustrated  by  the  publication  of  a  newspaper 
in  the  prison  by  the  energetic  chaplain  of  a  New  York 
regiment.  It  was  entitled  the  Libby  Prison  Chronicle. 
True  there  were  no  printing  facilities  at  hand,  but  un- 
daunted by  this  difficulty  the  editor  obtained  and  distrib- 
uted quantities  of-  manuscript  paper  among  the  prisoners 
who  were  recognized  leaders  in  their  several  professions, 
and  in  fact  wherever  it  was  likely  to  do  the  most  good, 
so  that  there  was  soon  organized  an  extensive  corps  of  able 
correspondents,  local  reporters,  poets,  punsters,  and  witty 
paragraphers  that  gave  the  Chronicle  a  pronounced  suc- 
cess. Articles  were  contributed  on  all  conceivable  sub- 
jects of  interest.  Pursuant  to  previous  announcement  the 
"  editor,"  on  a  stated  day  of  each  week,  would  take  up  his 
position  in  the  centre  of  the  upper  east  room,  and  sur- 
rounded by  his  audience,  seated  in  every  available  space, 
would  read  in  their  proper  order  the  articles  contributed 
during  the  week.  The  discussions  through  the  columns  of 
the  Chronicle  by  the  ministers,  doctors,  lawyers,  and  pro- 
fessional men  of  the  subjects  treated  upon  were  striking, 


182  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

able,  and  spirited,  and  bore  the  unmistakable  imprint  of 
cultured  and  brilliant  minds.  Naturally  the  subject  of 
war,  ancient  and  modern,  was  discussed  exhaustively,  par- 
ticularly our  own  war,  and  the  chain  of  political  events 
and  disturbing  questions  that  gave  rise  to  the  revolt  of 
the  Southern  states.  Considering  the  absence  of  books  of 
reference  the  writers  showed  marvelous  familiarity  with 
the  subjects  with  which  they  dealt.  The  presence  of  such 
a  great  number  of  men  of  wide  experience  and  travel  at 
home  and  in  foreign  lands  made  their  narratives  deeply 
interesting.  Their  sketches  of  personal  adventure  by 
flood  and  field,  if  preserved,  as  it  is  hoped  they  have  been, 
may  yet  enrich  the  literature  of  the  wap. 

"  The  Libby  Prison  Minstrels  "  were  deservedly  a  popu- 
lar band,  whose  weekly  performances  were  largely  attended 
and  warmly  applauded.  The  troupe  was  organized  under 
and  governed  by  strictly  professional  rules.  Being  directed 
by  a  zealous  and  competent  stage  manager,  whose  word 
was  law,  no  mere  superiority  of  military  rank  was  permit- 
ted to  secure  professional  preferment  in  the  troupe.  Noth- 
ing, indeed,  but  the  positive  possession  and  display  of 
musical  or  dramatic  acquirements  could  command  promi- 
nence, and  as  a  natural  though  droll  consequence,  it  was 
common  to  see  a  second  lieutenant  carrying  off  the  honors 
of  a  play  as  the  "  leading  man,"  and  the  colonel  of  his 
regiment  carrying  off  the  chairs  as  a  "  supe."  Indeed,  I 
knew  a  gallant  major  and  most  estimable  gentleman  who 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  183 

in  the  first  season  of  his  engagement  did  not  deem  it  be- 
neath his  dignity  night  after  night  to  personate  the  hind 
leg  of  a  stage  elephant.  This  elephant,  by  the  way,  de- 
serves especial  mention,  not  only  because  of  the  peculiar 
difficulties  which  attended  his  construction,  but  because 
both  intellectually  and  physically  he  differed  in  a  marked 
manner  from  all  elephants  we  had  previously  seen.  The 
animal  was  composed  of  four  United  States  officers,  which 
certainly  gave  him  unusual  rank.  One  leg  was  the  major's 
before  mentioned,  the  second  a  naval  officer,  the  third  a 
captain  of  cavalry,  and  the  last  leg  was,  by  a  happy 
thought  of  the  astute  manager,  "taken  off"  by  an  army 
surgeon.  A  quantity  of  straw  formed  the  body,  tusks  and 
trunk  being  improvised  from  the  somewhat  meagre  re- 
sources of  our  "  property  room."  The  whole  was  covered 
ingeniously  by  five  army  blankets.  Indeed,  the  elephant, 
considering  the  difficulties  surmounted  in  its  creation,  was, 
as  seen  by  the  light  of  the  "foot-lights,"  consisting  of 
four  candles  set  in  bottles  and  empty  condensed  milk  cans, 
pronounced  by  the  critics  of  the  Libby  Prison  Chronicle 
"a  masterpiece  of  stage  mechanism." 

The  stage  was  erected  at  the  northern  end  of  the  kitchen, 
and  was  formed  by  joining  the  four  long  tables.  The 
curtain  was  made  by  a  number  of  army  blankets  sewed 
together,  and  was  in  two  parts,  parting  in  the  centre,  and 
being  suspended  by  small  rings  to  a  horizontal  wire  over 
the  heads  of  the  orchestra.  It  could  be  drawn  together 


184  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

and  apart  at  the  manager's  signal  bell.  Ample  space  was 
provided  for  the  "dressing"  and  "green"  rooms,  and  al- 
though the  scenery  was  not  gorgeous  nor  extensive,  it  was 
sufficient  for  the  dramas  produced  during  the  season.  The 
audience  was  expected  to  bring  their  own  seats,  there  being 
"standing  room  only,"  as  conspicuously  announced  on  a 
placard  posted  in  front  by  the  management. 

One  of  the  best  performances  ever  given  was  on  Christ- 
mas eve,  1863.  That  night  the  room  was  crowded  with 
men,  who  way  down  in  their  hearts  felt  a  homesickness 
that  needed  some  mental  physic  such  as  we  proposed  to 
give.  Our  poor  fellows  thought  of  their  wives  and  chil- 
dren, if  not,  indeed,  of  sweethearts  in  the  North,  and  per- 
haps our  play  did  them  good.  Programmes,  neatly  printed 
in  the  prison,  were  freely  circulated,  but  I  have  searched 
high  and  low  and  the  only  one  of  them  left,  as  I  take  it, 
is  that  from  which  the  following  fac  simile  is  made.  This 
one  remaining  relic  of  that  memorable  night  I  obtained 
from  a  comrade  at  the  Prison  Survivor's  meeting  at  De- 
troit. The  appended  programme  was  followed  literally, 
and  the  performances  caused  unbounded  enthusiasm: 


FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY.  185 

THE  LIBBY  PRISON  MINSTRELS. 

MANAGER Lt.  G.  W.  CHANDLER 

TREASURER Capt.  N.  W.  SAWYER 

COSTUMER Lt.  L.  P.  JONES 

SCENIC  ARTIST..! Lt.  PRENTRESS 

CAPTAIN  OF  THE  SUPES Lt.  BRISTOW 

THURSDAY  EVE.,  DEC.  24,  1863. 

PROGRAMME. 

PAET  FIBST. 

OVERTURE—  "  Norma  " TROUPE 

OPENING  CHORUS—"  Ernani " TROUPE 

SONG— Who  will  Care  for  Mother  Now Capt.  SCHELL 

SONG — Grafted  in  the  Army Lieut.  KENDALL 

SONG — When  the  Bloom  is  on  the  Rye Adjt.  LOMBARD 

SONG — Barn-yard  Imitations Capt.  MASS 

SONG— Do  They  Think  of  Me  at  Home Adjt.  JONES 

CHORUS— Phanton TROUPE 

PAKT  SECOND. 

DUET— Violin  and  Flute— Serenade  from  "  Lucia  " 

Lieuts.  CHANDLER  AND  ROCKWELL 

SONG  AND  DANCE— "Root  Hog  or  Die" Capt.  MASS 

BANJO  SOLO Lieut.  THOMAS 

DUET— Dying  Girl's  Last  Request 

Adjts.  LOMBARD  AND  JONES 

MAGIC  VIOLIN Capt.  MASS,  CHANDLER,  AND  KENDALL 

SONG— My  Father's  Custom Lieut.  McCAULLEY 

CLOG  DANCE Lieut.  RYAN 

RIVAL  LOVERS. 

JOE  SKIMMERHORN Capt.  MASS 

GEORGE  IVERSON...  ...Lieut.  RANDOLPH 


186  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

PABT  THIBD. 

COUNTRYMAN  IN  A  PHOTOGRAPH  GALLERY. 

PROPRIETOR- Capt.  MASS 

BOY Lt.  RANDOLPH 

COUNTRYMAN Maj.  NEIPER 

MASQUERADE  BALL. 

MANAGER Adjt.  JONES 

DOOR-KEEPER Capt.  MASS 

MUSICIAN Lt.  CHANDLER 

MEMBER  OF  THE  PRESS Lt.  RYAN 

MOSE Lt.  WELSH 

BLACK  SWAN Lt.  MORAN 

BROADWAY  SWELL Lt.  BENNET 

RICHARD  III Capt.  McWILLIAMS 

TO  CONCLUDE  WITH  A 

GRAND  WALK-AROUND. 
t&° Performance  to  commence  at  6  o'clock. 


ADMISSION  FEEE — CHILDREN  IN  ARMS  NOT  ADMITTED. 

ADJT.  R.  C.  KNAGGS, 

Business  Agent. 


As  might  be  expected  the  handling  of  the  scenery  was 
attended  with  considerable  difficulty,  and  the  patience  of 
the  manager  was  often  sorely  tried  in  his  efforts  to  impress 
upon  the  scene-shifters  the  impropriety  of  pushing  out  a 
bridge  to  connect  with  the  half  of  a  drawing-room.  Nor 
did  the  shifters,  as  the  manager  repeatedly  explained  to 
them,  seem  to  realize  the  importance,  while  performing 


FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY.  187 

their  duties,  of  keeping  out  of  the  sight  of  the  audience. 
Indeed  the  pathos  of  a  play  was  at  times  seriously  marred 
by  the  audience  distinctly  seeing  a  pair  of  cavalry  boota 
coolly  walk  off  with  a  forest. 

It  happened  one  evening,  when  it  was  determined  to 
compliment  the  efficient  management  with  a  rousing  bene- 
fit, that  the  two  officers  whose  duty  it  was  to  personate  the 
hind  legs  of  the  elephant  were  unable  to  appear  on  account 
of  sudden  illness,  and  their  places  had  to  be  filled  at  the 
last  minute  by  two  other  officers,  who  volunteered  for  the 
emergency.  This  was  an  acknowledged  kindness  on  the 
part  of  the  volunteers,  but  their  acceptance  of  the  parta 
without  sufficient  rehearsal  proved  exceedingly  embarrass- 
ing to  the  management,  and  positively  disastrous  to  the 
elephant  himself,  or  to  speak  more  accurately,  themselves. 
At  the  appointed  time,  however,  the  elephant  appeared, 
his  entree  being  greeted  with  the  usual  round  of  applause- 
In  spite  of  the  lack  of  preparation  the  wonderful  tricks  of 
the  animal  were  very  creditably  performed  and  enthusias- 
tically recognized  by  the  crowded  house.  The  anxious 
manager  in  the  wings  was  happy  as  he  gave  the  signal  for 
exit.  Most  unfortunately  at  this  vital  moment  certain 
strange  convulsive  actions  of  the  animal  revealed  the  pain- 
ful fact  that  a  very  positive  difference  of  opinion  existed 
between  the  fore  and  hind  legs  as  at  which  side  of  the 
stage  the  exit  should  be  made.  In  vain  the  perspiring 
manager  hissed  from  the  wings,  "To  the  right,  gentlemen^ 


188  FOOTFALLS   OF   LOYALTY. 

for  God's  sake  to  the  right!"  A  murmur  of  excitement 
ran  through  the  audience,  the  convulsions  of  the  animal 
grew  more  and  more  violent,  and  excited  people  in  the 
auditorium  shouted  loudly: 

"  The  elephant's  got  a  fit ! " 

"  The  monster  is  poisoned  !  " 

"  Play  the  hose  on  him  ! " 

"  Down  in  front !  " 

"  Police ! » 

A  perfect  babel  ensued,  in  the  midst  of  which  the  seams 
of  the  blankets  at  last  gave  way,  and  the  shrieking  audi- 
ence witnessed  the  extraordinary  spectacle  of  an  elephant 
walking  off  in  four  different  directions,  each  leg  fiercely 
gesticulating  at  the  other  and  exchanging  epithets  certainly 
more  pungent  than  parliamentary.  The  despairing  man- 
ager had  no  alternative  but  to  ring  down  the  curtain,  but 
in  his  excitement  he  pulled  the  wrong  rope,  the  sky  fell 
down  on  the  heads  of  the  orchestra,  and  the  show  ended 
for  that  evening.  The  manager  being  a  strict  stage  dis- 
ciplinarian at  once  called  a  meeting  of  the  several  sections 
of  the  elephant,  the  result  of  which  was  that  three  of  the 
legs  resigned,  and  the  remaining  leg  (the  major)  was  re- 
duced to  a  "  supe." 

It  would  fill  an  interesting  volume  to  sketch  in  the 
briefest  manner  the  lives  and  experience  of  the  men  who 
have  been  captives  within  the  walls  of  Libby  or  to  trace 
their  career  since.  Many  of  the  gallant  fellows  have  since 


FOOTFALLS   OF    LOYALTY.  189 

fallen  upon  the  battle-field,  and  a  sad  number  have  died 
from  the  effects  of  their  long  incarceration.  Some  have 
been  lost  at  sea,  and  others  are  in  foreign  lands.  Some 
have  since  become  the  governors  of  states  and  held  seats  in 
the  cabinet.  Their  voices  have  been  heard  in  congress,  at 
the  bar,  and  in  the  pulpit,  and  their  names  will  be  a  proud 
heritage  to  their  children  aud  their  country. 


190  FOOTFALLS  OF   LOYALTY. 

TO  CAROLINA, 

FROM   ONE   OF   HER   SISTERS. 

Sister  Carry,  my  dear, 

I  am  sorry  to  hear 
That  you  are  intending  to  leave  us, 

They  say  it's  a  fact 

Your  trunk  is  all  packed 
And  you  hope  by  such  conduct  to  grieve  na. 

You  have  always  been  naughty 

And  willful  and  haughty, 
Like  a  spoiled  minx,  as  you  are, 

So  vain  of  your  beauty, 

Forgetful  of  duty 
You  owe  to  indulgent  papa. 

I  am  sure  you  can't  say 
You've  not  had  your  way 

In- each  of  her  family  broils, 

While  I  vow  and  declare 
You've  had  your  full  share 

In  each  of  the  national  spoils. 

Just  wait  for  a  season 

And  listen  to  reason, 
Nor  believe  what  your  false  lovers  say; 

For  their  prayers  and  their  sighs 

And  their  flattering  lies 
Will  bring  you  to  ruin  some  day. 


FOOTFALLS  OF  LOYALTY.  191 

Though  they've  promised  so  fair, 

Gay  deceivers  they  are, 
From  the  one  whom  last  evening  you  kissed; 

To  Hammond  and  Ehett 

And  chivalrous  Kiett, 
Orr,  Memminger,  Pickens,  and  Gist. 

Some  day,  all  forlorn, 

Bedraggled  and  torn, 
Like  the  Prodigal  Son  in  his  need, 

You  will  knock  at  the  door, 

And  come  home  here  once  more, 
Nor  venture  again  to  secede. 

Now,  be  warned  of  your  fate 

Before  it's  too  late, 
Like  a  dear  little  innocent  lamb; 

Come  out  of  your  pet, 

And  do  not  forget 
All  the  kindness  of  good  Uncle  Sam. 

The  palmetto  tree 

No  shelter  will  be 
When  the  dark  clouds  of  anarchy  tower; 

You  will  long  for  the  rest 

Of  your  own  eagle's  nest 
And  the  strong  arm  of  Federal  power. 

Then,  dear  little  sis, — 

Now,  give  me  a  kiss 
To  make  up  these  family  jars, — 

Secession  shall  never 

Our  Union  dissever; 
Hurrah  for  the  Stripes  and  the  Stars. 


December  1,  1861. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


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LQt 


T?601     "Aeatnott- 

v,52f     Footfalls   of 
loyalty. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     001  157403     5 


E601 


